Growing Like a Weed...

Baby Luke is growing like a weed...here are some pictures with a few updates on what my precious baby boy has been up to...enjoy...

The Saucer: Over spring break, Landis and I bought Luke a jumparoo play gym. Right now, his little feet can't touch the floor when he sits in the seat, so he can't jump without some help from mommy and daddy. He seems to like trying to reach for all the toys around him though...

Tummy Time: Luke is doing better when lying on his tummy. I have tried to make tummy time a game so that Luke is getting practice rolling over while also having fun. I lay him down on a blanket and then gently roll him over to his side using the blanket, then he rolls himself either from belly to back or back to belly. We call it the "tootsie roll." He is getting closer and closer to making it over by himself. Here's a tummy time picture...

The Airplane: Below is a picture of Luke in airplane position...he loves this...I put him on my knees while lying on my back and rock him back and forth over my head while making all kinds of silly noises...he loves the fact that he is "bigger" than mommy and looking over me instead of me looking over him for a change. I can sometimes get a real out loud laugh out of him when doing the airplane...take a look...

Happy Man: Luke smiles very easily now and is starting to coo quite a bit. Here he is during our talk time... :)

The Sitter: Because my mom is a real estate agent, she had to go back to working on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, so I had to find someone to watch Luke on these days. I started praying for something to work out back in January and my prayer was answered. A sweet lady named Tammy who has kept the children of some ladies I work with is keeping him for me several days a week. She lives in Thomasville, is a Christian lady, and Luke already loves her. Here is a picture of him before I took him to his first day at Tammy's. By the way, taking him to Tammy's made me very thankful that he will never have to go to a daycare because I cried my eyes out leaving him on Monday - there was just something more sad about taking him and dropping him off somewhere. I have gotten used to leaving him at home with memaw and mammaw. I already look forward to summer time where he can stay home with mommy....

Drool: Luke drools all the time. In this picture, you can see the drool bubbles coming out of his mouth. I'm not sure if he is getting ready to cut teeth or not. He is constantly sucking on his fingers and drooling. He doesn't show any signs of his mouth hurting yet, but, it's probably coming soon....

Grabbing Objects: In the above and below picture, you can see Luke holding onto a rattle. He is getting much better at grabbing rattles and hanging on to them. He can sometimes grab the rattles and get them to his mouth. We will keep working on this skill... :)

BeBe Pod: In the next few pictures, baby Luke is sitting in his Bebe pod. He loves to sit in this because he can sit up straight and see everything. When it is nice outside, he loves to sit in his Bebe pod in the rocking chair on the porch while I water the flowers. He is definitely going to be an outdoor kiddo...thank goodness...no TV and Nintendo games for the Lukester...he's going to be playing outside with mommy and daddy... :)

The Best for Last: This picture speaks for itself...what a HAPPY MAN!!! :) Luke has such a sweet spirit...I love him so much....

Enjoy this beautiful evening...I will try my best to update next weekend after Luke's 4 month check up on Friday. :)

Toddy

Officially a Working Mommy

As many of you know, I started back to work last Monday, so I have had two weeks as a "working mommy". As all you other working mommies know, being a professional mommy is no joke. It takes more energy, prayer, and patience than I ever imagined. Last week, I was a walking sombie. I felt like all I did was some kind of work - either professional work at school or mommy work at home. Yes, the two hours at night that I had with little man was the highlight of my day and somehow re-energized me to get up and do everything all over again. The exhausting part of the day is after I lay Luke down, it's like I begin the work on the second shift - cleaning the house, laundry, getting bottles, lunch, and clothes ready for the next day and unfortunately, for me, I did school work after Luke went to bed because I am so far behind due to my leave.

Work has been WILD!! I wish I could write about all of the drama that I experienced in just the two weeks I have been back. My first day back last Monday ended with the School Resource Officer in my office and then ended yesterday with the second county office visit that I requested due to needing some guidance on a few sticky situations. It has been crazy!! I guess the Lord wanted to make sure that I did not get bored enough to miss Luke during the day - well, no worries there - does anyone who works in a school ever get bored??? (he, he)

Last weekend, Luke and I played and played and played some more. We were able to spend some great quality time together, so getting up to start the second Monday of the job was not near as bad as the first one. :) I am out of work today for spring break and I am thankful for the rest. I brought home STACKS of work that I will attempt to do after the Lukester goes to bed. :)

One positive result of returning to work is that thanks to the stressful job and the running that Landis and I are doing, I am now only two pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight. I am able to wear my "skinny" pants again (not my "skinniest" pants - but, I will be in those before I know it). Landis and I are doing well with the running. Yesterday, in the first 80 degree weather that we have run in, we completed 2 miles out of the 3.1 running without having to stop and walk. Of course, I did that with the BOB. I was very proud of myself. Last Saturday, I took off running by myself (no baby and no hubby) and was able to run almost 3 miles without stopping - it was much easier without the stroller and it was so nice to just RUN - I forgot how much I loved to run to relieve stress! This gorgeous weather makes running even better. :)

Now...for the real reason you visited my blog...baby Luke!!!

Luke is doing great! He is the best baby in the world! He is continuing to grow like a weed. Because his head is getting stronge and sitting up is getting easier, he wants to sit upright all the time. Wednesday night I carried him around outside in the Baby Bjourn for an hour because he wanted to walk around. He cannot stand to sit still. We are going today to Babies R' Us to get him some kind of baby saucer/seat that he can sit in while also playing with some toys and practicing his reaching. He is trying very hard to use his hands. He can get them to his mouth, rub his eyes, and he can hold a rattle if I put it in his hands. He is reaching for rattles and things that are hanging in his baby gym - he can hit them but not grab them. It is so sweet to watch him play.

From what Landis and I can figure out using our old fashioned home weighing, he weighs a little over 14 pounds, which means he has doubled his birth weight before the 4 month mark - he's right on track! His next doctor's visit is April 23rd. I can't wait to see how much he has grown! The downside - more shots!! :)

He is still sleeping through the night (most of the time) until around 5:30 or 6:00am which works perfect for me when going to work. Last week, he woke up between 3:30 and 4:00 a few mornings! Wow! Shock to mommy!!! :)

Luke does great during the day with memaw (my mom) and mammaw (Landis' mom) - he loves them both and enjoys staying with them. Mommy loves them both and appreciates the good care they take care of him while I'm working - Luke couldn't be in better hands!! :) Thanks memaw and mammaw!! :)

Finally...here are some updated pictures of him...enjoy them and enjoy this beautiful weather...get outside!!!

Toddy

To My Hubby, My Best Friend, and the Best Daddy - Happy Birthday

I know, I know - an update FINALLY! I didn't realize how many people read my blog until I started receiving "hints" about wanting to see updated pictures of Luke. I have even heard - why don't you join Facebook so you can just add pictures quickly without an explanation. NO WAY! Facebook is not for me...I will stick with blogging...



In the above picture, you see the two most important men in my life - Landis and Luke. Of course, way before Luke - there was Landis - my husband and best friend, and now, my parent sidekick and the best daddy in the world. On Saturday, this sweet man that I spend my life with will be 33. It's hard to believe considering that we met when he was 17!!! Over the last 16 years, we have experienced more than some couples experience in 20 years of marriage and each hurdle has brought us closer. Landis is the only person in the world who will be completely honest with me - good or bad, and, at times, he's the only person that my stubborn self will listen to. He somehow knows what I need to hear and when I need to hear it. Landis also makes me laugh everyday and I'm not the only one - he has more friends than anyone I know - why? Because he is entertaining, funny, and dependable - what more could friends ask for? And, now, we can add to his great list of qualities - he is a great daddy. When Landis gets home and talks to Luke, Luke's face lights up and he smiles a great big smile - he knows who his daddy is and he already loves him. I can't wait to see Luke and Landis grow closer and closer as Luke gets older. One day (before I know it), they will be walking out the door together with their golf bags. :) So sweet... :) So...to Landis (who I will have to force to read my blog because he never reads it), I love you more than words can express - you are the most important person in my life and I'm so glad that God put us together. I couldn't live without you. Happy 33rd Birthday! I look forward to celebrating many more with you.



Here's a few other quick updates...



Back to Work on Monday:

I'm trying not to dwell on it, but, it's inevitable, I head back to work on Monday and I'm not looking forward to it. I have cried quite a bit and plan on crying some more. I've prayed for peace and comfort and God is rewarding me with that a little more each day. I'm actually doing better today than I was a week ago. I have the comfort of knowing that Luke will be well taken care of by my mom, my mother-in-law and a Christian lady who kept some kids of ladies that I work with. And, I get to look forward to the summer - I only have to work about 3 months and then I have a few months off. Even with this positive outlook, I'm going to need some prayers - please pray for me as I walk out the door and leave my little man for an entire day on Monday. I know that it's going to be difficult...



Another prayer request...

I have a prayer request that I cannot write about publicly, but I want to put it out there like this...please pray that God will continue to give me patience, restraint, and the ability to wait on him to work in one area of my life. I am wanting to take control and make my own moves when I know the Lord is telling me to WAIT on Him to work, so please pray for me. I can't wait to see what the Lord has planned.



The rest....UPDATES ON BABY LUKE....



Luke is doing great! He continues to be the sweetest baby ever. He is smiling very easily, cooing quite a bit, and at times, laughs out loud. He is very strong. When lying on his back, I grab his hands and he pulls his neck because he wants me to help him into a sitting position. He loves a sitting position, which is why I was happy to see that he can now sit in the BeBe pod...take a look...

While I have been out of work, I have taken Luke over to my grandparents' house every Wednesday so Luke can play with my mammaw and granddaddy. He loves his time with them and, of course, Luke is the highlight of their day. Here are a few pictures of Luke playing with my granddaddy....

Some more cute pictures.....

Look at those fat rolls...can you believe that??? Luke wore a onesie one day last week when the weather was nice...

One of the few pictures that Luke is with me...I'm always the one taking the pictures so this doesn't happen a lot...

Luke in his Baby Bjourn...he loves this thing...he loves to sit in this while I do things around the house...he is such a busy body...he does not like to sit still, so this helps us both out...mommy can do house work and Luke can look around...and, of course, my educator self is talking to him the whole time..."Look, Luke, this is a red shirt, look at the bowl, there goes Madi, this is soft..." Can't you just hear me? Luke shouldn't have any problems with language development (he, he)....

A few more cute pics...

Last, but not least, (I don't have any pictures yet)...BOB update...remember on my last blog we were waiting on the car seat adapter for the BOB stroller so we could begin running, well, the piece is here and we have gone running 2 times....so, how did we do? Pretty good considering I haven't run since I found out I was pregnant. Landis and I have tracked out a 5K path Creekside park in Archdale, a fairly challenging path with several large hills. We are walking/running the path in intervals right now with the goal of shortening the walking intervals a little each week. I have been pleasantly surprised in how my body has adapted back to working out pretty quickly, especially considering that I have been selected to push the stroller. Pushing a stroller while running burns 30% more calories, so as you can imagine, it requires more exertion. I am enjoying the challenge and Luke is enjoying the riding, and I am very proud of Landis who is hanging right with us and he hasn't worked out in quite some time. :) We are aiming to run a 5K sometime this spring - I will keep you posted. :)

Until next time...enjoy this beautiful weather and the longer days... :)

Toddy

The Hands, the Cheeks, and the Stroller

Happy Friday everyone!! Here's our baby Bumgarner update:

THE HANDS:
The latest attraction to baby Luke are his hands. He isn't aware what they are yet or how he can use them EXCEPT that he can put them in his mouth. He is getting better and better everyday at sticking his hands in his mouth - it is so cute to watch him miss his mouth 4 times before finally landing a hand with very spastic motions in his mouth. When he does this - he is a happy man!!! Unfortunately, when he can't get his hands in his mouth, he gets frustrated and depending on how tired he is, that's when he wants his paci. The result....

THE CHEEKS:

The latest topic when people see baby Luke are his cheeks - everyone says, "Oh my goodness! Look at his fat cheeks!" Yes, yes - my baby has chipmunk cheeks. It looks like he is storing food for months inside his cheeks and guess what, there's nothing in them...he just has fat cheeks...I love it!! More for me to squeeze and kiss!!! :) Check out these pictures...I'll be waiting on your comments....

THE STROLLER:

For those of you who have followed my blog for awhile, you have noticed that the focus of my blog has changed over the last year and a half. When I first started this blog, it mainly revolved around my running success (or failure). When I got pregnant, the blog subjects revolved solely around my pregnancy and baby Luke and now, of course, Luke is all I know to talk about...HOWEVER, I have good news (to me, at least)...I am going to combine two of my favorite topics LUKE and RUNNING!! I'm super excited BECAUSE...we bought a BOB stroller so that I can finally get back to running without feeling guilty for leaving little man behind...I will now take him with me. Before having Luke, I thought I would be back to running by now, but I have been unable to workout because I feel guilty leaving Luke, so we bought a running stroller...now, with the temperatures getting warmer and Luke getting bigger, I can begin running again with the BOB...you should see this thing (I'll post pics late)...it has shocks...I mean, it's high tech...I should hit the pavement with it the first time sometime next week (we are waiting for an attachment that fits car seats to come in).

Stay tuned for the first BOB and LUKE adventure... :)

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Toddy

2 Month Check Up

It's hard to believe that baby Luke is 2 months old, but, he is...everyone has always told me that time flies and they grow up so fast - I am now experiencing exactly that. I'm trying to enjoy each day of these special times.

On Monday, Luke went to the doctor for his 2 month check up. Here are his stats:
weight: 10 lbs, 14 oz (25th percentile)
length: 22 inches (25th percentile)

As you can see, he is about 3 1/2 pounds over his birth weight and has grown 3 inches. The doctor said that he "caught up" a little on his weight because he moved from the 10th percentile to the 25th percentile (way to go my chubby man with a great appetite). The doctor checked him over and everything was great. He is a healthy, growing little man.

THEN...came the fun part...4 vaccines (3 needles and one oral) - oh my! On the way to the doctor, I cried thinking of the shots. When we got to the doctor, Landis cried when he saw the shots. And, then, as expected, Luke cried when he was given the shots. Even though he cried pretty hard for about 30 seconds, he did much better than I thought. The doctor did a super job of keeping him calm. She gave him the needle shots quickly and then gave him the oral vaccine to help soothe the pain - she said the oral vaccine tasted sweet - he enjoyed that so much that he must have forgotton about his shots because he quit crying and never started crying again. When we got home, he did well - no fever, no fussiness - I didn't even have to give him Tylenol. What a tough little man we have!

Other exciting news in baby Luke's world...

He is making lots of noises now. His favorite time to "talk" is right after eating - after I feed him, I lay him on a blanket and we "talk" and play with his rattles and toys. He smiles very easy now and those sounds he makes are the sweetest sounds in the world. He is also very interested in any object that I put in front of him. He wants to grab them, but just can't figure out how to work his hands. He is able to hold onto a rattle once placed in his hand. It's cute to watch him try to figure out how to get the rattle out of his hand. Luke is also lifting his head and chest up well during tummy time and when I have him sitting up, he holds his head up fairly well. Everyday he gets stronger and stronger - and, of course, cuter and cuter. :)

We have adjusted his night time routine just a little bit and he is doing well. Because I go back to work in a little over 3 weeks, I want to get him on a schedule that allows for me and him to get the most rest. I had been waiting until 11:00 to give him his last feeding and then he slept until 6:00. Well, staying up to 11:00 on a school night will not happen for me - I just can't do it - I'll be exhausted, so I have moved his last feeding to 9:30. I feed him around 9:30, rock him, read to him, swaddle him - he watches his mobile while he falls asleep and then he sleeps until 5:00 or 5:30. This schedule should work out perfect for me when I go back to work because I can be in bed by 10:30 and then get up when he gets up - feed him, and then get ready for work. After his early morning feeding, he goes back to sleep within 30 minutes so I should have plenty of time to take my shower and get to work on time. I sure am dreading going to work - that's a whole different blog point that I will post later (hopefully) - I sure am going to need a lot of prayers before March 22nd - matter of fact, start praying for me now - I already start crying whenever I talk about it. Anyway...moving on...

Here are some recent pics of little man...CUTE, CUTE, AND one more CUTE...enjoy!

Wow! What a fat belly! :)

The next one is one of my favorites - he LOVES a bath and he LOVES being bundled up and cuddled in his towel after the bath - this picture was taken after I bundled him up...he is such a happy baby... :)

Cough, Catnaps, Cuteness, Company, and Cozy

Wow! When I do not have time to blog but every week and a half, my thoughts compile and before I know it, I have too many things to write about. Those of you who are long time visitors of my blog, you know that I love to choose a theme - well, today's theme - the 5 C's: cough, catnaps, cuteness, company, and cozy. Why the 5 C's? So u can "C" the latest Luke updates...:)

Cough:
I'll start with the not so fun one - the cough. :( Last Thursday, Luke, Landis, and I took our first unplanned trip to the doctor because of a cough that Luke had for several days. Last Monday, I noticed congestion in Luke's head - you could hear it when he was breathing and especially when he ate. The congestion and drainage was causing this pitiful little cough that sounded terrible coming from such a tiny person. Luke didn't have a fever and was eating well - my concern was - is the congestion in his chest? So, I called my Aunt Sonya, who was a pediatric nurse for years and just happens to live one block from me. We are loving that!! :) On Wednesday morning, Aunt Sonya arrived with her stethoscope and listened to his chest. She heard nothing and said this - his chest is clear - he doesn't need to go to the doctor unless he has a fever or will not eat. "Okay" I thought and was satisifed with that response until Thursday morning when his cough became so bad that he threw up when eating. After his second throw up episode, the helpless mommy called the doctor - I couldn't help it - I wanted to fix his little cough and couldn't so I wanted someone to tell me how to help him so off to the doctor we went. The doctor listened to his chest and checked his ears AND what did he say? He is clear in his chest and in his ears - there is nothing we can do but let the cold run its course - you do not need to be concerned unless he has a fever or quits eating. Wow! Have I heard that before? Oh yeah - way to go Aunt Nonner!!! You were right on target!! You know what that means? We will be calling for your advice again. :) So...we left the doctor still feeling helpless but feeling a little better knowing that the congestion was not too serious. I did ask the doctor if there was anything that I could have done to prevent the congestion and he said that it was a cold caused by a germ and that germs were going to happen - he said that we couldn't keep him in a bubble - colds would happen and with each one, his immunity would build. Alrighty then! That answered my question. I am happy to say that Luke is doing much better. His congestion gets better everyday, his cough is not as bad, and he is no longer throwing up when eating. Thank the Lord for the healing and for protecting his little chest and ears. :) Now..on to happier topics...

Oh yeah...at the doctor, Luke weighed 9 pounds, 14 ounces - I am sure that by now he has reached the 10 pound mark - oh my goodness - he's in the double digits!! :)

Catnaps:
My 10 pounds of cuteness has become the "King of Catnaps." He has his night time schedule figured out and it is a good one for mommy. At night, he eats around 11:00 and will sleep until 6:00am - that is awesome! That means that I get to bed around 11:30 and get to sleep until 6:00 (sometimes 6:30) - did you calculate that? That's over 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Now, of course, I wake up a few times to check the monitor, but, I don't have to physically get out of the bed thanks to the video monitor RIGHT BESIDE MY HEAD (he, he). Why is little man so tired? Because he never has a full nap during the day. He eats, plays for a little while, and then falls asleep for 30 to 45 minutes at a time. It will appear that he is going to take a real nap and then all of a sudden - the eyes pop open and he is ready to join the awake world again. Thank goodness during this awake time he is getting better at playing by himself. I can put him in his playpen with his toys beside, above, and around him and he will play (a.k.a - look and sort of reach) for 30 minutes. I'm fascinated at his attention span. He is also the sweetest thing ever when I spend time talking with him and reading to him. He smiles very easily now and is trying very hard to make noises. Every now and then, a planned coo will happen - I mean what a way to melt your heart - it's the sweetest thing I have ever seen watching him move his lips every which way only to get one little squeak out! :)

Oh - on the sleeping subject - one more tidbit to share - I am continually amazed at his night time routine - after his last feeding, I rock him for about 5 minutes and then swaddle him. He then watches his mobile (which he loves) and falls asleep all on his own. The other night he stayed up watching his mobile and grunting and trying to make noises for an hour before finally falling asleep. I am amazed that he can entertain and soothe himself for that amount of time and then falls asleep without one whimper or get this...NO PACI!! He only wants his paci during the day time when he is trying to catnap. He never has it at night anymore. I am telling you...he is a good baby... :) I am blessed! No night time crying sessions to listen to....YET...(he, he).......

Cuteness:
The next few pictures will explain this one...take a look

This picture is baby Luke in the BIG CHAIR! I sat him down for a second in the chair that I usually play with him in and Landis and I had to take a picture - look how cute he is!! :) He looks so tiny in that big chair.

The next few pictures were taken in his bouncy seat. Each morning, he sits in his bouncy seat on the bar as I eat my breakfast while talking with him. He listens, makes his tiny noises, and attempts to hit at his hanging toys. Check out this cuteness...

Oh my...did you see that smile? :)

He is thinking..."Oh my goodness I really want to grab that snail! Why can't I get my hands to work like I want to?"

Company:

This weekend was a busy one for us. On Saturday night, we ate dinner with "The Gang" which includes our regular hangout buddies, The Leslie's, The Ray's, the Trogdon's, and The Prevette's. This was Luke's first time hanging out with the whole group and he was so precious - he went through dinner and then hung out at Heather and Greg's house afterwards until almost 1 am. We fed him and then passed him around to all of the ladies. He has never received so many kisses. All the ladies enjoyed holding him and he enjoyed being held. He did his usual catnaps throughout the night and then came home and slept until 7am - he was tired! :)

Then, on Sunday, Landis and I took him to a Superbowl party. Once again, we were away from home around a bunch of people for several hours. We arrived at the party around 5:00 and left at 11:00. He did so well! He only cried one time and that was when he was getting sleepy. I took my baby Bjorn and he hung out with me as we watched the game - well, sort of watched the game, there were about 10 kids under the age of 5 running around the entire time. I think Luke was fascinated at all of the action - there were kids everywhere!!! :) Below are some pictures of Luke's superbowl outfit...he was the cutest "Football Champ" at the party... :)

Do you see those socks? They have football laces on them...isn't that adorable?

Look...catnapping before the party!! :)

Cozy:

One of my favorite times of the day has become the early morning hours because Luke, Landis, and I get to be "cozy". After Luke eats at 6:00 each morning, I take him back to the bedroom where Landis is starting to stir and Landis and I play and talk with him until he falls back asleep. And, then, when he does fall asleep, I sometimes fall back asleep with him. This is a joy that I will have to give up in about 5 weeks when I return to work and I sure will miss it - not just the extra sleep, but the play time with him. He is always sweet, but super sweet in the mornings when he is rested and full. :) Here are a few pictures of Luke in Mommy and Daddy's big bed getting cozy. :) (Side note - Lupe, I bet you, Layla, and Neil love this part of the blog - it probably reminds you of your family getting "cozy"-tell Layla and Neil that I stole their word.)

It's difficult to read in those pictures - but, his sleeper says "Snugglesaurus" - it's mine and Landis' favorite sleeper because it has claws on the footie part of the sleeper and of course, Luke is our "Snugglesaurus". :)

Well, that's the end of the latest Luke NOVEL...oh my goodness...I just go on and on...forgive me....

Until the next chapter....have a terrific Thursday!

The long winded blogger signing off,

Toddy