20 Questions: Lukas at 3 year old

Each year starting at 3 and until he turns 20, I plan to ask Lukas the same 20 questions about his favorite things. It will be fun to read them over and remember who he was each year at the time of his birthday. I can't take credit for the idea which I found on Pinterest. Love that some of the questions were heavily influenced by his attending preschool this morning, while others were obvious, everyday favorites. Happy 3rd Birthday sweet Lukas! I do kind of hope you grow up to be a tractor driver (:



20 Questions for Lukas:

1. What is your favorite color? Red.
2. What is your favorite toy? The carry truck. You put cars on it. (toy from preschool)
3. What is your favorite fruit? Watermelon
4. What is your favorite TV show? Thomas
5. What is your favorite thing to have for lunch? Watermelon. Pineapple. Peaches. Tuna sandwich.
6. What is your favorite shirt? Airplane shirt. Preschool shirt. Bike shirt.
7. What is your favorite game? My fort.
8. What is your favorite snack? Oranges. Little cheese. I like applesauce at preschool. (He had oranges and little cheese for snack at preschool today. It was the first thing he told me when he got in the car).
9. What is your favorite animal? I like alligator. And lions.
10. What is your favorite song? Slippery Fish (they sang this at preschool today)
11. What is your favorite book? Sam I Am.
12. Who is your best friend? Isabella (a little girl at preschool)
13. What is your favorite cereal? I like bread.
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? In the backyard? Play house. It's a little roof house.
15. What is your favorite drink? Milt. Milt. (shocker)
16. What is your favorite holiday? My birthday.
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Lamby
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast. A bar.
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? A hot dog.
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Drive a tractor with a scooper on it.

A little note to my daughter, Emma (explaining why I haven't blogged)

Dear Emma,

You are almost 8 months old and this is the first time I have made a blog post about you. If you should ever visit our family blog and wonder why, I wanted to make sure I explained it to you. Because I do have a very good reason (:

When you came into the world on January 4th, 2012, it was in the most joyous and peaceful way. I didn't sleep for two nights after you were born, because I was so full of excitement. During those sweet first days in the hospital, it was just you, me and your dad. We hibernated in our little hospital room, holding you while you slept and feeding you every three hours. No one came to visit and it was perfect. We never put you down or let you out of our sight. You slept in my arms every night, mostly on my chest and had your first bath right there in the room. And so I didn't blog; my arms were filled with you instead.

The first two and a half weeks of your life your Daddy stayed at home and took care of Lukas. You and I spent most days in bed, doing a lot of resting, snuggling and eating. You even let me finish the first installment of the Hunger Games. During that time, you still weren't put down much and continued to sleep on my chest. When your brother met you for the first time, he smiled and kissed you right away. There weren't many visitors and that was fine with us. I wasn't ready to share you anyway. With your sleeping and eating going so well, I really enjoyed those early weeks when I only had to think about your needs and my own. And so I didn't blog; my days were spent bonding with you instead.

After your Daddy went back to work, we fell right back into our old schedule. You came along with Lukas for trips to gymnastics and play dates. Everyone was amazed that we were out and about so early. You were so easy going and spent a lot of time sleeping in the Baby K'Tan or in my arms while your brother played. I was so happy to feel so well after your birth and able to feed you out in public. And so I didn't blog; my days were full of playing with you and your brother instead.

With spring and summer came a calendar full of celebrations and travel. We hosted family at our house for your first Easter and again for your baptism. There was a trip to San Jose to watch your Aunt Janet graduate from SJSU with her Masters degree. We also celebrated your cousin Ethan's birthday in San Rafael. Since you were such an easy baby, we were able to host friends for play dates and dinner at our house from time to time too. Fourth of July was a particularly memorable day because it was your 6 month birthday. You were the princess of the block party, wearing a red, white and blue tutu for the festive day. Attending a baby shower and bridal shower in San Francisco were a breeze with you. And our trips to Santa Cruz and Tahoe were so memorable and so fun, our first travel experiences as a family of four. Not to mention your first bachelorette party in San Francisco. Julie and Andrea didn't mind you being there; you hardly made a sound. And so I didn't blog; the warm months were filled with family, friends and fun instead.

While we were on vacation in Santa Cruz, you decided that without the swing to lull you to sleep for naps, you preferred Mommy instead. So for several weeks, many of your nap times have been spent just snuggling with you. You are my last baby, my only girl. We have such a close bond that you wake when I walk in the room at night, when you can smell that I am there. And if I am out of sight, you are not too happy. There are days when the closeness can be too much, when I just want to be alone for a while. Mostly though, I am loving every minute of our peaceful and quiet bond, of snuggling with you during naps and night feedings, when we fall asleep in each other's arms, happy and tired. And so I haven't blogged; I have been too busy loving you instead.

Love,
Mommy

19 Months Old

Each month, I think that I couldn't enjoy a certain stage more. This is especially true right now. The sun is out (sometimes) and with my Master's degree coursework done, I have more time to spend with my little man. It also allows us more time together as a family. We spent the first weekend I was out of school going out to brunch and playing indoor games since it was raining out. Lukas loved watching the hail come down.

Yesterday Lukas loved singing "rain, rain go away" and actually understood that what was falling from the sky was rain. He kept pointing to the sky and saying "rain." Today when some water dripped from the shower head, he also said "rain." I can't believe the way his little brain is picking up on little things like this everyday.

A new development just this week is that Lukas can repeat a lot of the words that we say. If I say, "Let's go read a story." He'll say "story." It's cool to know that he is understanding more everyday and that our communication with him is definitely not one sided!

We purchased an outdoor basketball hoop for Lukas this month which is absolutely loves. He also has a little tennis racket which he is able to swing quite well, although he still needs help hitting the ball. Lukas clearly has his father's coordination and my good looks for which I am grateful (I am only kidding on the latter, although I am glad he ended up with my green eyes).

Our family is just starting to get used to the idea that in late 2011 or early 2012 we will be welcoming a new member to the family. I have no doubt that Lukas will be an amazing big brother. Today could be summed up in one word: HUGS. Every time I turned around, Lukas wanted to give me a big hug. He also loves to tell Jordi "Goodbye Jordi" when we leave the house, which shows me he is starting to learn that the world is bigger than him.

We're looking forward to a fun summer of swimming, singing classes and lazy afternoons in the backyard. Lukas really enjoys reading books and singing which is nice, since some day I have more energy than others (: I am amazed that he is so interested in books when just 6 months ago, he wouldn't sit still for even one book! We both love to read Goodnight Moon and all the wonderful board books we received at my showers and library books we pick up every few weeks.

Life is simple. And it is good.

Swimming Lessons at the YMCA

Every time we tell Lukas it's time to go swimming, he yells "wheeee!!!!" He thinks we are saying "swinging" instead of "swimming." The more we say swimming, the more he says "wheee!!!!" which creates a pretty hilarious scene. Try it some time -- tell Lukas he's going swimming and every time you say the word swimming he'll yell "wheee!!!"

Today was Andrew's first time going to the lesson with Lukas. It was pretty funny to watch Andrew try to figure out what was going on. The lessons are chaotic, to say the least. Here are my favorite pics from the day. This is what Lukas looked like on his 18 month birthday!

My Sweet Boy is 18 months old

My baby is 18 months old as of tomorrow. No longer a baby but not quite a full-fledged toddler. I was reminded of this early this morning (5:30am to be exact) when Lukas woke up. He just wanted me to hold him. That seems to be happening more and more lately. I think he has gotten so independent, he finds it reassuring to be close to us. And I don't blame him -- it is a crazy world out there!

I can't believe how much has changed since Lukas' first birthday. He has become a bit of a mama's boy, saying mama mama mama more often than daddy, for the first time, well, ever. Now I know how it feels to be adored. I know that I must enjoy it because before I know it, his favorite family member will be Jordi or Daddy again.

Lukas has learned to identify and say eyes, nose and mouth recently. He especially loves pointing out other people's noses or eyes. Sometimes I end up with a finger up my nose -- anything for an enriching learning experience, right?

Lukas is talking more than I expected he would be at this age. Considering Andrew said he never wanted him to learn to talk (he just wanted him to grunt and coo the rest of his life), I think this is payback, big time! He says names of foods very clearly (hummus, berries, apple, cheese, juice, eggs, spoon) a few animals (doggie, kitty, turtle, duck) and lots of toy names (ball, baby, bike, bubbles). Names that says are Jordi, George (for Curious George), Daddy, Mama, Opa and Papa Choo Choo. And it's exciting to hear him start to piece together little phrases like "Oh no!" and "No Jordi!" I know I'm missing a lot of Lukas' words, but these are the ones that come to mind.

Favorite activities include going to the park, throwing balls, reading books in his room, telling us he wants to watch Curious George (and then not watching) helping Mama use the Swiffer, playing with cars, riding on his trike or riding in Daddy's bike trailer. He hasn't really taken to the arts yet - crayons look a little too tasty to waste on paper. So I am nervous to try finger paints!

We are also starting to see the signs that the terrible two's are coming, the result of a bad cold that made him pretty crabby. Although he doesn't say "no" much we get a nice whiny body shake if he doesn't want to do something. Telling him he can't go for a bike ride is not pretty. I'm afraid he's inherited stubbornness from both Andrew and me and he usually ends up getting his way.

Overall, Lukas is sweet and easy going. Spending the day with him isn't as much work as it could be. More often than not, it's a lot of fun. He makes us smile and laugh constantly for which I am grateful. He has a sweet, loving spirit and is such a BOY! We love you Lukas -- happy 18 month birthday.

New Bike

We got Lukas one of those Radio Flyer trikes with a pushbar earlier this week. It's perfect timing with the great weather we've been having. Lukas asks me in the sweetest way to take him out for a ride. He looks at me with his big blue eyes, gets very serious and says, "Mama? Bike?" It's tough to say no to that face and his polite request. The first day we had the bike, we went out four times! This is going to help me get ready for swim suit season, that is for sure! We love going to our favorite coffee shop in the morning with the bike. Lukas gets his own "coffee" to put in the trunk of the bike (it is just ice water in a coffee cup with a straw). He feels SO grown up! When we ask him to hold on with two hands or ring the bell, he always follows instructions. Lukas also likes to wear his "hat" which is really his helmet. I think we're going to stay busy this summer with our new activity (:

Brushing his Teeth

It took four months, but Lukas finally likes to brush his teeth. He likes to make a sound effect to go along with it, which is what we did to try to make tooth brushing more fun. Guess it worked! Our dentist told us to just stick with it. But those first few months were rough - he kicked, screamed and cried every time we tried to brush his teeth. Glad those days are behind us (:

First Haircut

Today Lukas had his first haircut. We weren't sure if we were ready to cut his precious curls, but they were starting to look more like a mullet. So we trimmed the ends to make him look a bit neater. I thought that I would be sad to see my baby get his haircut, but it was actually a lot of fun. There were a bunch of toys for him to play with and he loved sitting in the big car during his cut. He was all smiles the whole time - we were very proud! Here's a picture of Mike the barber, Andrew and Lukas. It was a team effort!

So Snuggly at 18 months

For about a week, Lukas has been really sweet, snuggly and affectionate with both Andrew and me. We know it is not likely to last long, so we're enjoying it while it lasts. Here is a picture of Andrew and Lukas watching the Giants game together for a few minutes before bedtime. There is nothing sweeter than a big hug from our sweet boy.

Fall is here and so is Lukas' 1st birthday!

Fall is here and so is cute hat season! Fall is my favorite season and October my favorite month. October is both my birthday and Lukas' birthday. Right now we are finalizing plans or Lukas' first birthday party and we are so excited to celebrate with our family and a few friends. Tomorrow is Lukas' actual first birthday. We plan to go to the zoo, lunch with daddy and perhaps even have a cupcake for dessert. We'll see...

Lukas is a Walker!

Just 4 days shy of his 1st birthday, Lukas took his first steps -- 4 to be exact. It was a bit of an accident - he didn't mean to. I brought out one of his bday presents for him to play with, a standing activity center. He was standing with no hands playing with his new toy and I moved it about 2 feet away. And he just walked right over to it! I think it may be a while before he does it again. Maybe. Seeing him walking, turning 1. Such happy times!

Long Weekend in Santa Cruz

We just had a wonderful long weekend in Santa Cruz. Although the weather has started to turn to fall, we still had some sunshine on Saturday. We went to our favorite restaurant in Soquel for lunch called Main Street Garden. They have amazing outdoor seating in the back looking out at their huge garden that backs up to the creek. We enjoyed a yummy pizza from their outdoor pizza oven. Lukas did a little eating and a lot of playing (including eating tanbark). Andrew and I were able to relax and enjoy our sweet little guy. I can't remember the last time we had a 2 hour lunch! After lunch I convinced Andrew to take us for a drive up the hill to Kennolyn where we had our wedding reception 5 years ago. It was Lukas' first time there! We were excited to walk around the grounds and reminisce about our special day. Andrew took a photo of me and Lukas on the lawn. I remember taking a LOT of photos on that lawn on our wedding day too (: Then we walked over to the sales office where there was a huge framed photo of us in the window and another huge photo inside. I was hoping Andrew would take it for me but he did not. Andrew had to head home to work on Sunday but Lukas and I had a nice day Monday going for walks, watching dolphins and searching endlessly for Jordi. Jordi is Lukas' first "name" that he has learned and it is so cute. Also, Lukas just started saying "up" today. He loves to babble too although we have no idea what he is saying!

11 months old!

Holy cow! Where has time gone? Our little tiny baby boy is no longer tiny and hardly a baby anymore. Lukas brings us more joy and laughter with each day. Right now, he is a very huggy boy and starting to give us sloppy, wet kisses on the cheek. He also LOVES to share his bottle, toys & food with Mommy, Daddy & Jordi. Tonight I watched as he fed peas, one kernel at a time to Jordi. Lukas has mastered crawling on his hands and knees and is FAST! He can also cruise around on furniture, kitchen appliances, even the screen door. And he loves to practice his walking. Gone are the days when I could leave him in the living room to grab a quick shower. Lukas has also outgrown his crazy nap strikes. Now he takes a very dependable 1 hour nap in the morning and 2 hour nap in the afternoon. It has made life so much easier, mostly because he is well rested and happy! Lukas' favorite toys continue to be things that aren't toys; my makeup case and their contents, kitchen utensils, spice bottles, empty plastic containers and magazines or manuals. We are often puzzled by his choices since he has plenty of toys to play with. I guess it's a sign that he is learning about the world around him. Clapping and waving are also fairly new skills. Just this week, he began clapping in time to music -- now THAT I think is impressive! Most of all, I love seeing Lukas' growing sense of humor and the love he has not only for us, but for other members of our family. Papa Choo Choo, Opa and Grande have been so generous in helping us with Lukas this year. What they probably weren't expecting was how much of a bond would form between them. Lukas has never cried when I walked out the door, leaving him with one of his grandparents. Lukas & Jordi are also becoming fast friends, equally bothering and entertaining one another. Lukas tries to avoid Jordi's licks while Jordi tries to avoid the inevitable ear tug. I'm pretty proud of Jordi for learning to put up with this abuse and wait for me to help him. This week, I started working from home which means I get to spend a lot more time with Lukas. After a really really hard year, all is right with the world.

Swimming at McGeorge Pool!

Lukas enjoyed the Mcgeorge School of Law Pool which Andrew has access to as an alum. Glad we get something tangible and fun out of all that very expensive law school tuition! It is so nice to have a "neighborhood" pool to go to. We were able to load up the BOB and walk there as a family. This was Lukas' first time in a full size pool and he loved it! I was really proud of how well he did -- I think we will have to do some swim lessons in the fall.

On a side note, Andrew may have tucked a PBR or 2 into the stroller so we'd have drinks poolside...no big vacations for us this summer, but this was as close to Mexico as we've gotten in a while!

4th of July

We spent Lukas' first 4th of July with Ann, Kathy, Jerry and Jeannie in Santa Cruz. Kathy and Ann spoiled us by making dinner both nights we were down. It was so nice not to have to do anything!! Lukas was right at home with his family and loved all the attention. His Opa helped us out a lot that weekend. I hope we make it back every year for the 4th!

Solids

A picture is worth a thousand words! Lukas is still unsure if he likes solids. His favorite foods are peas & brown rice, pears and bananas from the jar. We have also given homemade sweet potatoes and yogurt a try this week and he has liked both. He was not such a fan of the quinoa and zucchini I made for him from scratch tonight. Nor did he like the very expensive organic blueberries I painstakingly boiled and made a syrup out of for him.In fact, he spit both of them all over me. Oh well. I tried Lukas. No one will ever say I didn't try to feed you healthy, wholesome food!

Lukas & Dada

Andrew and Lukas have a really amazing bond. They not only look alike but Lukas lights up when his dada walks into the room. And Andrew lights up too. I love watching these two together.

Crawling

Lukas has mastered his army crawl over the past several weeks. He loves to follow us around the house, ask to be picked up and then ask to be put down again so he can crawl some more. One of his favorite things to do in the morning is to crawl over to Jordi's house and say good morning. Not so sure how much Jordi enjoys sharing the floor with Lukas. He seems a bit annoyed by the whole thing. But he is very protective when Lukas is on the floor and our neighbors dogs come over to play. He pretends to be annoyed but really loves Lukas. I have a feeling these two are going to start getting into a lot of trouble together!

Our little swinger

Yesterday Andrew left for Seattle for work and Lukas and I decided to have a little evening activity at the park. He enjoyed the swing and then eating a little bit of sand. I can't wait to go back to the same park so we can enjoy the wading pool. Sacramento is such a great place to live with all the parks. I've been waiting to have a little baby boy to go to the park with for a long time. I'm a happy mama.

Happy 8 Month Birthday Lukas! And Happy 1st Father's Day Andrew!

Lukas turned 8 months old today. Where has the time gone? Here are some fun facts about our little sweet pea:

He has 6 teeth, 4 on the bottom and 2 on top (there is a gap between the top 2 teeth that is SO CUTE!)
Just started crawling on Wednesday! (military style, on his stomach). His Opa was the first one to see him crawl.
Lukas can transition from sitting to laying on his belly
Says Dada & Mama
Recognizes familiar faces
Jumps VERY high in his jumperoo
Loves playing with blocks
Likes books, likes chewing on them even more
Enjoys baby foods -- peas, pears, bananas and rice cereal are his favorites.
Gives really great hugs, especially in the morning
Does not mind mommy giving him lots of kisses
Has a budding sense of humor -- does things that he thinks are funny, laughs and then we laugh because he is laughing. Lukas is really great fun.
Travels so well in the car - we were on the road for 7 hours today. What a trooper!
Is one of the most content and happy babies. We are REALLY lucky.

Today we went to Amador to celebrate Andrew's first Father's Day. What a great family outing we had. I can't wait to go back for another picnic. No messy cleanup after lunch - love that!