Christmas Cousins

Anna under the tree, doing her best to keep two toddlers (Luke and Sophie) from leaving her lap.

Who Wore It Better?

Alex the Monkey:


Lucas Milliken:


Luke has been interested in taking off his shoes, socks, and pants (!) for quite some time, but now he is (sometimes) able to put them back on.

How we're getting around the whole tree/toddler issue...

Luke attacked the tree at the Pittsburgh airport after Thanksgiving, so we knew a full sized tree wouldn't go over too well in the Milliken household. Jamie suggested we skip it altogether, but I like sitting in a darkened room with only tree lights too much. The table tree was a good compromise.



Luke has trouble getting up on our couch without help, so the "tee" actually isn't in too much danger.

P.S. All we want for Christmas is a Flip videocamera!

If you build it, they will sulk...

Luke's more of a Spring/Summer guy, I'm thinking. I took him out this morning, and he just sat there, the whole time. Like he was a little seven month old baby. He maybe brushed the snow on the ground a few times. I tried building him a snow midget to cheer him up, but the only thing that made him feel better was going back inside!

Hi.

Luke's at the super cute stage where he says hi to everyone and everything. Getting him out of his car seat? Hi. Passing by random strangers in a grocery cart? Hi. Picking up a phone sized object and holding it to his head? Hi.



I'm enjoying this language acquisition stage immensely, mostly because it's the precursor to having a Kid Who Says the Darndest Things. And, eventually, one of those funny kids who writes a Children's Letter to God.

Chief Ocean Eyes

We spent eight days in Oil City, PA (our longest visit there yet!) It was great spending all that time with Nanny, Papa and Uncle Aaron!

He celebrated Turkey Day with a neighbor's home day care (where he got his name "Chief Ocean Eyes"):


He horsed around in Nanny's brand new kitchen:


And liked riding on things at the mall:


Speed demon:

It's 3 PM and the living is easy...

After his nap, Luke enjoys relaxing in his Elmo chair with a snack.



Good thing for those naps, they allow us both to recharge. Constant throwing has got to be tough on the arm, but what I don't understand is why he says "DON THWOW" with a scowl on his face, chucks the object, and points to it.

A few more Halloween favorites...

Taken by our friends:

Happy Halloween

What an exciting day so far!

Luke in his Tigger costume:


Getting ready for Halloween StrollerFit with best bud Ryan:


Playing in the leaves:


Meeting up with the playgroup at Spy Pond. Yes, it's a Halloween Zoo!

Walking!

Luke has been walking for about two weeks now. He took a step here, a step there for a month or two, but then decided it was time to become fluent when I was away (of course). Here's a video we took this morning at the Children's Museum. Apparently, it's all about the arm circles.

Art Class

Crummy Sunday weather = time to introduce art projects to my 15 month old:

Here we explore watercolor brushes:


And here we investigate crayon on paper. Methinks Luke had a little taste of crayon while I got the camera for filming:


Very grateful for non-toxic supplies!

Do Fourteen Month Olds Actually Photograph?

This is all we're getting these days:

The post where we do the exact same thing as other New Englanders...

Apple picking? Check:


Working on an apple with all four teeth:


Checking out other kids' rides:


Pumpkin pounding? You betcha:


Quiet moment with Dad by the pigpen? Awww...

EIEIEIEIEI

Farmer Luke knows a sheep says 'Baa' and a horse says 'Neigh.' When we sing Old McDonald Had a Farm at StrollerFit, he joins in on the chorus: "EIEIEI" Plus, he's up at the crack of dawn! I see husbandry in his future...

Here are a few photos from our recent trip to Drumlin Farm:


Just a piglet:


Babes by the barn:

(Luke, Rose, Lucy, Gabe)

Room to Grow

Yes, this Steelers outfit is baggy. But it's gotta fit Luke until FEBRUARY 7th!

Trouble Making 101

Move over, reading nook! The oven drawer is more my style now...

Chef Bored-Are-We

Sometimes you have to make your own fun:

Hide and Seek for Couch Potatoes

Attention all parents and grandparents of young children:

Tired of playing Hide and Seek? Walking from room to room, pretending you don't see those little feet sticking out from under the bed?

There's a new way to play. A minor change, yet revolutionary. Instead of shouting, "Ready or Not, Here I COME!" just shout, "Ready or Not, Here I GUESS!"

I have a feeling it will be a huge hit in our house.

Luke's second cousin Ellye, mastermind of HSCP:

Third Time's a Charm

Luke's first and second attempts at cake consumption weren't anything to write home about. Even though these cakes were both made with love by mom, they didn't quite capture his affection the way this one from Shaws did:







For the record, we are DONE with parties now. Special thanks to Stef for the photos!

Good Night Baby

This is my favorite lullaby. Recently Luke started singing along, "Baby, baby, baby" in a soft sweet voice I want to bottle up and save forever.


Good Night, Baby, I hope you have sweet dreams,
We've turned the page on this day, and now it's time to sleep.


Good Night, Baby, it's faster than it seems,
I used to be the baby and my mom sang to me.


Good night, good night, I watch you as you sleep.
The world loves little babies, you are the world to me.

East Meets West

Before Luke's Big Day and a haircut, there was a play date with Carter. His mom Leslie (an avid reader of this Pulitzer prize winning blog) used to be my housemate before moving all the way out to Seattle. Carter was born in April 2008, and this was my first time meeting him. He is an impressive little boy whose best party trick is making animal noises on command.

Carter: "Luke, get a haircut! The monkey goes oo-oo!"


Luke: "Okay Carter, maybe I'll get my two little teeth whitened while I'm at it."

The Big Day

Last Saturday, we really celebrated Luke's birthday...a trip to the spray park in the morning, and then a delicious BBQ in the afternoon. If you are coming to Luke's final party this coming Saturday, you are in for a real treat. Jamie has turned into quite the griller!

Hangin' with the cousins:


It isn't a party until you figure out how that water tower works:


I can't wait for my cake!


It's here!


Um, I don't really like it. Dad, can you grill me up some of them Cheerios?

Luke's Birthday Day One

They say the first birthday is really for the parents. With three "parties" down, and the big bash still to come (August 15th), we're definitely making sure our little guy's entrance gets some attention!

On Luke's birthday, he woke up at 5 am, ready to get the party started:


After a walk, swings, and some playtime at home, he napped and woke up a few minutes shy of his exact birthday time (11:27). WARNING: I am super annoying in this video, but the kid is cute.


Luke ate a quick lunch, and then we met his friends at Together in Motion, an indoor play gym.


We came home for nap #2, and Luke's grandparents, uncle, aunt, and cousins arrived in the late afternoon. Showing true dedication, they traveled through a torrential downpour to get here. We ate a pizza dinner, and Luke had his first cupcake! Not too fond of the cake, but the icing was pretty tasty.



A busy, fun-filled day, and that's just Day One. Stay tuned for more birthday adventures!

Fright and Delight

Last year at this time, I took Luke for walks past the spray park in our neighborhood. I thought ahead to this summer, and I pictured Luke and his friend Ryan toddling through, squealing with delight. It didn't really work out like that. The boys aren't walking yet, and it's more like Luke squeals with fright every time I put him down to crawl around in the puddles. He will, however, do his signature "Luke-happy flailing dance" if someone is holding him.

Having a blast, as long as dad is near:


A family trip through the rainbow bars:


Getting dumped on, per my niece Anna's request: