Lucas and Connor

Our Early Christmas Present

2010-12-12T15:45:00.011-05:00

Connor Joseph was born on Thursday, December 9th at 10:56 am. 7 pounds, 15 ounces and 20 inches long. Baby, parents, and big brother Luke are all doing well! Enjoy some photos from the first few days:

Moments after birth:

All cleaned up:

A tired dad:

Meeting Grandma and Grandpa:

A tired mom:

Heading home from the hospital:

Candy cane baby:

Connor likes the Dinosaur Boppy:

Mom reading to Luke and Connor:

Fun Fall Moments

2010-11-30T15:02:00.014-05:00

Just Blog-nesting right now...getting caught up on some fun moments from this fall. I'm 39 weeks pregnant now so I wanted to get these photos up before we have another little one to keep track of!

Family photo from the Topsfield Fair:

Luke wearing Jamie's sparring gear:

Luke participated in his first race this fall (25 meters). Unfortunately, his feet never touched ground and Jamie had to carry him the whole way!

The race after-party was more his style, I guess!

Some Halloween pics:

Luke prepares Thanksgiving dinner for Curious George and Bear. A feast of corn, grapes, waffles, and a dryer ball...what could be better?!

And finally, a sneak peek at Baby #2!

Third Trimester

2010-09-07T22:02:00.006-04:00

Wait, we haven't mentioned yet (on this blog) that we are expecting another baby? Whoops, guess that's second time parents for you (we love you #2!). Baby Boy Milliken is due December 6. Finally got around to taking a belly shot in front of the belly wall:

We were able to sneak in one quick shot before a crisis began:

Luke needed a snack that only Mommy could fetch for him at this exact moment:

Trying my best to comfort one son while attempting a flattering photo of other son:

Guess this is only a glimpse of the challenges to come!

Warning, I am TWO!

2010-07-31T07:22:00.001-04:00

Model in Training

2010-07-03T21:22:00.000-04:00

My new favorite picture of Luke, taken by our friend Linda:

Bunnies!

2010-06-06T13:26:00.005-04:00

When you're almost two, there's nothing better than a backyard bunny sighting:

Can You Guess What Happened?

2010-06-05T08:46:00.003-04:00

In Luke's words:

"Hi Sugar!"

"Kick!"

"Free, Four, Seven, Eight, Ten!"

Sugar in 2008, calmer times

When You're Tired, You're Tired

2010-06-04T08:35:00.001-04:00

Luke taking a rest in Ruby's dog bed:

Mischief Making

2010-06-02T22:21:00.000-04:00

Hello Summer!

2010-05-31T21:09:00.001-04:00

Easter Pics

2010-04-05T21:40:00.007-04:00

Trying to eat a chocolate egg (wrapper and all!):

Profile pic for Luke's profile fans:

Ain't she a beauty?

Luke and Sophie trade Easter trucks:

Veggie Tot I am Not

2010-03-28T21:45:00.009-04:00

My friend Courtney's Veggie Tot blog always amazes me. Her toddler eats Kale Chips! Wild Mushroom and Lentil Cottage Pie! Pea Pesto!

A few weeks ago, her son Ezra was over, and we all tested out Heather's Salsa. The results? See for yourself:

I Love Lucy

2010-03-20T21:07:00.003-04:00

I've been negligent in my posts, but the latest development for Luke is the emergence of a best friend: Lucy. Lucy's mom Charlotte is as eager as I am to get out of the house and meet up at libraries, parks, etc., so Luke and Lucy have developed quite a fondness for each other.

Luke leans in for hugs and kisses, and even danced with Lucy at the latest library singalong. Lucy reciprocates by following Luke everywhere and demanding "knucks" from Luke (which is basically a high five but with a closed fist)

Here are a few shots of them at the park today (thanks Jen!):

Mardi Gras Then and Now

2010-02-16T21:22:00.005-05:00

Mardi Gras 2009:

(Lucy, Rose, Nolan, Ezra, Luke, Samuel, Mia)

Mardi Gras 2010:

(Samuel, Rose, Lucy (standing), Ezra (escaping), Luke, Nolan, Gabe, Josie)

Backstage 2010:
(A very boisterous "Wheels on the Bus")

Brushin'

2010-02-01T17:48:00.000-05:00

What the Duck Says

2010-01-31T20:24:00.002-05:00

I've been negligent about this blog. Running a business is time consuming! But we just got a Flip video for Christmas, so more videos in the future. This one will be a repeat for those who are friends with us on facebook, but it's a good one.

Here Luke demonstrates his anatomy and zoology knowledge, as well as killer charm when he just doesn't know the answer:

Christmas Cousins

2009-12-28T14:47:00.003-05:00

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

Who Wore It Better?

2009-12-18T14:04:00.006-05:00

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...

2009-12-12T21:37:00.004-05:00

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...

2009-12-09T18:42:00.005-05:00

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.

2009-12-07T07:44:00.004-05:00

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

2009-12-03T13:00:00.007-05:00

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...

2009-11-15T21:44:00.002-05:00

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...

2009-11-05T08:28:00.001-05:00

Taken by our friends:

Happy Halloween

2009-10-31T13:56:00.002-04:00

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!

2009-10-25T13:43:00.002-04:00

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

2009-10-19T14:56:00.004-04:00

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?

2009-10-04T22:54:00.005-04:00

This is all we're getting these days:

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

2009-09-27T21:07:00.008-04:00

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

2009-09-17T17:48:00.005-04:00

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

2009-09-10T18:04:00.002-04:00

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

Trouble Making 101

2009-09-01T09:38:00.005-04:00

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

Chef Bored-Are-We

2009-08-30T21:27:00.001-04:00

Sometimes you have to make your own fun:

Hide and Seek for Couch Potatoes

2009-08-22T17:51:00.005-04:00

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

2009-08-19T18:13:00.005-04:00

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

2009-08-18T12:59:00.006-04:00

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

2009-08-11T18:06:00.009-04:00

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

2009-08-10T18:04:00.010-04:00

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

2009-08-08T10:48:00.008-04:00

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

2009-08-07T09:42:00.007-04:00

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:

What do you think?

2009-08-06T10:18:00.005-04:00

Which one is cuter?

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

Then and Now

2009-07-31T14:55:00.005-04:00

July 31, 2008, noonish:

July 31, 2009, noonish:

Gone 'Proofing

2009-07-28T10:01:00.013-04:00

Baby proofing...I used to think it was as simple as installing outlet covers and gates by the stairs. When I heard about people inviting baby proofing experts into their homes for consultations, I thought, That's ridiculous! I was never really prepared for the entire home reorganization that a very curious baby would require.

Babyproofing, I had heard, occurs in stages.

Stage 0
In the beginning, there were the apologies. I somehow (very mistakenly) thought I needed to baby proof before our child was born. Friends with older babies would drop by and I was embarrassed that the house was not safe. We just haven't had time to babyproof yet, I'd explain, while holding my belly or the helpless little baby who couldn't even roll over, let alone wreak havoc on the paper recycling.

Stage 1
And then there were the beginning stages of mobility. Sitting up, rolling over, and a slow but steady army crawl. The outlet covers went on, and Jamie and I sat around at night discussing our poor choice in coffee table. We put off Stage 2 as long as possible, but there comes a point when the effort it takes to keep a baby out of trouble is far greater than the effort it takes to move to Stage 2.

Stage 2
The army crawl grew faster, and Luke suddenly became very interested in the living room vents, a tree, and...the stairs. We discussed ways to block off these entities, but the better solution was to relocate the curious child. We moved our bedroom to the guest room, got rid the guest room (Sorry, guests!), and turned our bedroom into a playroom, aka "padded cell."

Luke loved the padded cell. There was a time when the padded cell was enough, and that time was glorious. Imagine a day where you chill in the padded cell room with your kid, who's happy and safe, and you can just hang out and check facebook and read US Weekly. See, that's the thing. It was about a day.

Soon the padded cell wasn't enough. Luke wanted more. He saw the hallway and the kitchen and sometimes even the cat, and he wanted it all. I felt like a really lousy parent when Luke whined at his gate. How could I not encourage my little explorer?

Stage 3
More gates go up, latches go up in the kitchen (although one cabinet stays open for exploration), and we buy a lightweight vacuum so I can constantly clean the floor. (Kid won't eat vegetables as a finger food, but he'll eat dirt, cat hair, and tiny pieces of cardboard?). Today I had to move the garbage can and paper recycling out of the kitchen because he was all into that. (Although I turned that space into a really cute reading nook--HGTV here I come!)

Before:

After:

The point is, Babyproofing is nothing like I expected. It takes a lot of brainpower to stay one step behind my little fella. That's right, behind. If I wanted to stay ahead, I would have hired those experts.

The ten commandments of feeding Me

2009-07-16T08:01:00.024-04:00

And Luke implied all these words:

"I am the LORD your Son, who brought you out of your virtually carefree existence, into the land of slavery:

1. Thou shalt not attempt to start a meal without at least ten spoons.

2. Thou shalt come armed at each meal with all the necessary parts of My meal. Any attempt to run into the kitchen to get "one last thing" will result in exaggerated whining and possibly the end of dinner.

3. Thou shalt be aware that placing Me in my high chair stirs up feelings of intense hunger, hunger that I was not aware of one minute earlier while happily playing. Be thou armed with some foodthing to fling on my tray, while you gather the rest of My meal.

4. Thou shalt NOT place a bib on Me.

5. Thou shalt avoid eye contact if you are eating your meal with Me. Talking and smiling at me will not promote family meal time, it will result in My thinking of some other whiny thing to express to you. I prefer to focus on my food.

6. Thou shalt break into song (preferably The Wheels on the Bus) if you really want Me to finish that oatmeal.

7. Thou shalt clean me after every meal.

8. Thou shalt put all My foods in neat little piles. Do not mix.

9. Thou shalt understand that putting anything new (aka gross) on my tray may result in additional whining.

10. Thou shalt finish each meal by granting Me a Vegetable Baby Mum Mum. Thou shalt present it to me like a communion wafer, and I will reward you with a squinty incredulous smile as you grant me the biggest finger food ever."

Babies! They're Just Like US!

2009-07-13T13:40:00.011-04:00

They hang at outdoor concerts!

They sit at picnic tables!

They pose for group shots at parties! (Mia's birthday)

They do yard work!

They admire jewelry!

They ham for the cam!

Pool Party

2009-07-08T07:54:00.007-04:00

Sun?! Two days in a row?! In July?! What a treat!

On Monday we celebrated the sunshine with a trip to the pool. Last summer my friend Jen and I frequented the pool almost daily (while we were eight/nine months pregnant. As we sipped our pineapple infused water (thought to induce labor), we talked about how we couldn't wait to bring the boys to the pool next summer. It WAS fun, tiring, but fun. Luke hadn't been to the pool since his swim class last winter, so I wasn't sure how he would take it.

The water was a little cold, and thus freaky to Luke at first, but after a few minutes it was all splish and splash, like he hadn't missed a beat.

And now back to our regularly scheduled rain...

CSA! CSA!

2009-07-01T15:05:00.007-04:00

Our good friend Lisa is away this week, so she let us pick up her CSA share from the Waltham Fields Community Farm. What a great experience! There were fourteen choices of vegetables, but we were allowed to choose only eight. So smart...this meant that I didn't feel obligated to take home beets or kale, easily the two worst vegetables on the planet.

Loading up on the veggies we like:

There was also a "pick your own component" that felt especially romantic to me. As soon as I got to the farm, I had this rush of being the parent I always wanted to be...I was "wearing" my son, we would pick our own vegetables and eat them that night, the sun was shining (rare these days) and beating down on his sun-screened arms...

Nolan looks wistfully over his shoulder at the peas:

Snipping parsley and picking snap peas while you are wearing a 20+ pound child and juggling (sharp) scissors, your cloth bags, and a camera case is not as relaxing as it sounds. I found myself wishing that I had just waited until Jamie got home so we could go together, or go by myself (even better!)

Not to mention, I couldn't help the inevitable separation of my shirt and jeans:

Enough with the photo op, Mom! I'm falling into the peas!

But then I picked a snap pea right off the bush and gave it to Luke to chew on while I perfected gardening calisthenics. And I suddenly had this vision of next summer, when we're definitely doing a CSA, and Luke can run and frolic about (in this vision he's barefoot, but I'm not sure that's practical.) He can help me pick peas, smell flowers, and challenge me with all sorts of other things I'm not thinking about right now.

I became a sap again.

Fathers Day Tribute (by Luke)

2009-06-21T09:30:00.010-04:00

Happy Fathers Day to all the great men in my life! First, and foremost, dadada.

Super fun Papa:

Fellow dog-lover Grandpa:

My Godfather, Uncle Tim:

My Beatles song singing Uncle Aaron:

And my future legos partner, Uncle Mike:

(We seriously need to get a newer photo!)

Luke's first flight

2009-06-18T09:31:00.004-04:00

How was Luke's first flight, you ask? Millikenbaby.blogspot caught up with Lucas Orlando at his home on Wednesday morning in Waltham, Massachusetts. Luke was casually dressed in a Carters 12 Month Fireman one piece and nibbled on a foam alphabet play mat as the reporter conducted this interview.

Reporter: So, how was the flight out?
Luke: Pretty good, pretty good. I mean, the engines roaring at lift off scared the crap out of me, but other than that, I just enjoyed wiggling all over the place. Confined places lend themselves to a whole new kind of fun.

R: Was your mom well prepared for your first flight?
L: Yea, she asked her friends for advice and she tried to entertain me with new toys she purchased especially for the flight, but I just kind of dropped those and decided it was more fun to gnaw on her water bottle, spill her drink, and sit in Sprite. Oh and listen to her whine to my dad about how Jet Blue doesn't hand out "first flight" certificates.

R: Inside sources tell us that the return trip was even more eventful. Is that true?
L: Absolutely. When we got to check-in, we discovered that our return flight was delayed two hours, and my parents just kind of looked at each other, communicating in that married couple silent language, I guess. Then saying something about how the flight was already planned during my witching hour/bedtime, and now it was being pushed to my precious REM sleep, and how would they get me to sleep without my bathtub, sleep sheep, and Dreamland CD? That's when I started scheming.

R: Scheming? You mean, intending to make things difficult?
L: Right on. Not at first, but as the time wore on, I thought I'd keep them on their toes. I'm in the business of making memories.

R: So how did your parents occupy you for three hours at the airport?
L: Well, first we went to the food court, where I stayed with my dad and happily threw tortilla pieces to the ground while my mom pretended to be waiting in line at QDoba the whole time, but in actuality spent part of it browsing in Clinique.

Then, we headed over to the KidZone, which was a giant closed off room with a map of the United States printed on the carpet and a couple of things to climb on. I crawled from Florida to Maine, and then headed out to Michigan. There were a bunch of bigger kids running around, "blowing off steam" as they say, and I probably made things more difficult for their parents, who now had to caution, "Watch out for the baby." YES! Why only bother two parents when you can bother five?

Finally, it was a little past my bedtime, so mom put me in the Baby Hawk front carrier with hopes that walking around the airport with our hearts beating together might soothe me to sleep. Yea right! That might work for my friends Rose, Ezra, and Josie, who fall asleep in carriers all the time, but this would be my first time falling asleep that way. She was going to have to work a little harder than that.

R: So, did you, eventually, fall asleep?

L: Yea, I gave in finally. Mom decided to ride the walkway to simulate car travel. A couple laps on that and I crashed. Then I had this dream where my mom went back to the gate to sit with my dad and they talked about how they might be able to watch the Pens after all, and hopefully I would stay asleep the whole time, and what should they do about take-off and landing, should they wake me so my ears wouldn't pop? Wait, did that actually happen?

The next thing I know, I'm awake again! It's bright, the kind man is talking (although I don't see him...where IS he?) , and the kind lady is about to do her puppet show again. There's that puppet that looks like the straps on my carseat! And my favorite, the one that goes over her mouth! This is so exciting! And she's smiling at me! Why is no one else watching this great show?

R: It's clear this moment meant a lot to you. Would you say that this was a pivotal moment in your trip? As in, where it all went wrong?
L: Maybe for my parents. As for me, I had a blast.

R: We're running out of time. Perhaps you could summarize the remainder of the trip before our readers lose interest, if they haven't already?
L: Ok, wiggle, wiggle, to dad, back to mom, to dad, back to mom, play with water bottle, back to dad, walk with dad, wow that was short, whimper, back to mom. Repeat 10 times. Land in Boston, get bags, conk out in car seat...I don't remember the rest.

R: This certainly sounds exhausting. Do you think your parents will ever have the energy to travel again?
L: Well, I could get better...or I could get worse. I think at $60 roundtrip, my parents will just buy me a seat next time.

Why didn't I think of that?

Oil City visit

2009-06-10T10:10:00.002-04:00

Man, I miss this swing already...

We visited Nanny and Papa this past week in Oil City, PA. What a relaxing trip! Jamie and I were spoiled by Nanny's cooking, yoga classes, massages, date night, and not having to be Luke's constant source of entertainment. We also looked at a beautiful Victorian home while we were there...5 bedrooms, huge kitchen, two parlors, artist/yoga studio in the attic...and it cost less than half what we paid for our cozy three bedroom cape in Massachusetts. Too bad there are no engineering jobs in Oil City.

Haircut

2009-05-26T18:22:00.004-04:00

Today I took Luke for his first official hair cut. His "hairdresser" was very animated and careful, and Luke took to her immediately. He was a little wiggly, but didn't cry at all!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Fancy Shmancy

2009-05-19T17:57:00.003-04:00

We're so lucky to have friends who know their way around a camera. These were taken this weekend by Sharona Jacobs.

What We're Up Against

2009-05-15T18:03:00.003-04:00

This week has been huge for milestones. Not to brag, but Luke can now pull himself to standing, sit from a crawling position, and wave hi/bye. Plus he got his first tooth! Our little baby is growing up right before our eyes...

Nanny and Papa Visit

2009-05-12T15:21:00.002-04:00

Who's having more fun in this photo, do you think?

Heat Wave

2009-05-06T08:13:00.004-04:00

I've been waiting all Luke's life for an opportunity to let him run loose in just a diaper, so when the temperature reached the lower 90s last weekend, I finally had my chance.

Also, Luke's nine-month appointment was last week:
*18.2 lbs (15%)
*28.75 inches (50%)
*Head circumference (75%)

Looks like he's following in his dad's footsteps: tall, skinny (pre-kettlebell training) and brainy!

Cliche Baby Photo

2009-05-01T17:47:00.003-04:00

Wooden spoons really are all they're cracked up to be:

Piano Men

2009-04-24T08:33:00.004-04:00

Tuesday was rainy, but Ezra, Nolan, and Luke made the best of it playing with Luke's piano.

Luke and Ezra goof off in the background while Nolan takes requests from the moms.

Nolan and Luke ham it up for the cam while Ezra falls prey to another one of Luke's hair holds.

26.2

2009-04-21T20:20:00.006-04:00

I took Luke to the Boston Marathon yesterday...Mile 19 was pretty low-key and where we met up with friends Courtney, Segev, and Ezra.

Hold up, E, I just gotta check my text messages.

Luke was really inspired by the runners.

First time I watched this marathon and didn't think, Maybe next year.

Drunk on Toys

2009-04-19T08:14:00.001-04:00

Easter

2009-04-17T09:03:00.005-04:00

A few more Easter pics:

Anna has met her match

2009-04-15T07:46:00.005-04:00

We thought the Hannah Montana Easter basket would add a festive quality to the photo, but Anna didn't want Luke slobbering over her eggs.*

I don't like this cute-baby-holding-an-egg-idea...

Time to take matters into my own hands...

Fine I'll fake a smile.

*To be fair, Anna is the most thoughtful and generous "five and three quarters year old" I know. It's just, baby slobber is gross.

Also, her comment on my parents' house: "Maybe we should say a little goodbye prayer or something" has to be the sweetest thing I've ever heard.

Farewell to 25 Hanover

2009-04-13T21:04:00.006-04:00

It was a good house.

Two's Compnay

2009-04-09T20:31:00.007-04:00

What do you do when there aren't enough swings? Why, you introduce sharing!

Luke shares his swing with a newbie:

You having fun back there, Lucy?

I know I am! Wheeee!

Now, if you don't mind, I'm just going to hold onto your hood as an attachment object.

Bonus Red Sox Pic

2009-04-08T13:10:00.001-04:00

I had to add this one, taken by my friend Chrissie.

Opening Day

2009-04-07T21:30:00.006-04:00

We celebrated Opening Day with Luke's playgroup. Yeah Sox! They beat the Rays 5-3.

Getting ready for the game:

Just hanging out, watching the game:

The traditional couch photo (sans melt-down)

Bonding with Mommy:

8 Months Old

2009-04-01T08:24:00.003-04:00

Luke aged another month. Born on July 31st, the boy doesn't always get a month birthday, so I try to make them special when he does. Boston sported sunny, 55 degree weather yesterday, so we celebrated with an afternoon outdoor play date at Spy Pond, followed by dinner at Zocolos with two of Luke's buddies and their parents. (Okay fine, two of MY buddies and their kids).

Then this morning, at the beginning of his ninth month, Luke surprised me by army crawling across the living room floor. He's been working on this crawling skill for a while, but seemed to have hit a plateau. I believe that observing Rose at playgroup yesterday, plus early morning crib practice...did the trick.

Aunty Kerry

2009-03-29T08:27:00.005-04:00

Aunty Kerry's a hot commodity with the children in our family. Luckily Luke got a little extra time in with his Godmother last weekend before having to share her with his cousins on Easter.

On the swings:

I thought this picture was artsy. I could be wrong.

Aunty Kerry told me I'm the cutest little giraffe ever! Even though I have no neck...see??!!

Jackson Pa-Luke

2009-03-26T18:41:00.003-04:00

Luke's Grandpa turned 70 today. On the side of Grandpa's card, I held a marker in Luke's hand to see what would happen. I think it's pretty impressive for an 8 month old...I mean, he even signed his name in the lower left corner (L):

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Luke's Playdate

2009-03-23T14:24:00.005-04:00

Now that Luke's getting older, I think he's actually getting something out of the play-dates I have with the moms of his "friends." His latest play-date with Ryan proves my point.

Sitting there looking at each other is always a blast:

Huggin'...awww!

Making funny faces:

Sure beats old times:

The Games Dads Play

2009-03-19T13:21:00.001-04:00

I walked in on this one the other day:

Luke Holds His Own

2009-03-17T18:35:00.009-04:00

I'm purposely destroying Luke's chances of becoming President of the United States. What mother wants that? These photos were taken today at the Museum of Science:

Luke at it again with Pacifier Kid:

Back off Ella, this theory of relativity's mine!

Wasn't me. I'm just sitting here whistling.

Luke's New Lovey

2009-03-13T16:26:00.001-04:00

Luke has become quite attached to his breathable bumper these days:

Beaver Brook

2009-03-08T18:51:00.005-04:00

Like many people on the East Coast, we tried to make the best of the warmer weather this weekend. On Sunday, we visited Beaver Brook Reservation, a park ten minutes from our home. We enjoyed walking on the paved trails, introducing Luke to some dogs, and showing him the way around the playground equipment.

First bucket swing:

Checking out the slide with my mom:

Big boy swing with Daddy:

Enrichment Thursdays

2009-03-05T18:07:00.006-05:00

Who needs expensive music, yoga, or signing classes when you've got a group of moms looking for another excuse to hang out together? Enrichment Thursdays is our attempt to "stay focused" and enrich the minds of our youngsters. Today's agenda? Singalong!

A bird's eye view of great minds at work:

Mia and Luke, a modern day June Carter and Johnny Cash:

TGIF

2009-02-27T17:53:00.002-05:00

Swim class, near 60 degree weather, and a new toy...what could be better?

Caught Red Handed

2009-02-25T16:12:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I posted this photo of Luke, reaching for his friend's Samuel's pacifier.

Today , as the photos from other cameras made the rounds, I discovered this one of Luke, caught in the act:

Germ exposure's a good thing, right?

Mardi Gras

2009-02-24T19:32:00.006-05:00

Luke and I celebrated Mardi Gras with the play group today. The babes (and some moms) dressed in purple, green, and yellow; beads were worn by all moms, and many many calories were consumed on this Fat Tuesday.

Chillin' on the communal quilt with Samuel, Mia, and Ezra:

Getting ready for a group shot. Luke actually took Samuel's pacifier out of his mouth and attempted to put it in his own. Luke is shaping up to be the aggressor of the group, as he enjoyed licking heads, pulling hair, and poking eyes. I'm going to have my hands full with him!

Group shot (from left: Lucy, Rose, Nolan, Ezra, Luke, Samuel, Mia) Next time we'll try a photo when the babies aren't so cranky. It didn't go over too well.

Luke the Duke of Boston

2009-02-22T20:01:00.004-05:00

...is the nickname given by Luke's Uncle Tim. Here are some photos from his recent visit:

Hangin' at the Exersaucer:

Enjoying the piano toy, a Christmas gift from Uncle Tim

Ezra

2009-02-20T09:59:00.006-05:00

Another word I'm convinced I hear is "Ezra," Luke's buddy from swimming and moms group. Here are some photos of them playing:

At MomSwim:

These photos really don't capture how much the boys were wrestling, especially Ezra. But as Ezra's mom Courtney suggested, Ezra doesn't want to do anything that might taint his future political career.

Family Swim

2009-02-19T16:40:00.003-05:00

We headed on over to the Arlington Boys and Girls Club last night for Family Swim. Jamie got to see what a fish Luke is!

Prunes

2009-02-18T21:14:00.001-05:00

Da da

2009-02-17T22:14:00.004-05:00

Yup, he said it.

Sophie's Christening

2009-02-16T15:30:00.005-05:00

This weekend we headed to Niskayuna for Sophie Grace's Christening.

Sophie is the latest in a long line of babies to wear my family's 120 year old Christening gown. In this picture, the following people have worn the gown: (clockwise, from left) Michael, me, Aunt Mary, my mom, Kerry, Sophie, and Anna. Luke also wore it, but Jamie was driving him around the block when this picture was taken.

Luke crashed hard and slept through the entire party:

Luckily, Aunty Kerry is usually up for an after-party:

Anna and Sophie, enjoying the view from her new Bumbo seat:

Luke and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamjumper

2009-02-13T21:41:00.003-05:00

My talented friend (and neighbor) Melissa knitted Luke this snazzy outfit.

More than just a furniture store

2009-02-10T21:29:00.009-05:00

Thanks for the input on the baby food post, guys. It's always exciting to spark a little discussion...you bloggers know what I mean when I say 6 Comments!

So, it's been a tough winter. Lots of snow, lots of illness...and how many ways can you entertain a six month old within the walls of your modest sized Cape? I've been spending a lot of time hanging out at malls, and although this brings me back to my Jersey roots, it's getting a bit stale.

Last week I got a little creative and invited some of the moms I hang out with to join me and Luke at Jordan's Furniture in Reading. A furniture store? Yes, but it's more than a furniture store...they have a "restaurant," ice cream shop, and a "liquid fireworks display" choreographed to music. Actually, I think Luke was a little freaked out by the whole experience. And I'm going to out the rest of the moms in this picture and admit that yes, we did slow dance to the music with our babies.

From Left: Chrissie and Nolan, Courtney and Ezra, Me and Luke, Charlotte and Lucy

Homemade Baby Food

2009-02-09T15:11:00.007-05:00

I decided to be domestic and make baby food. Luke likes sweet potatoes, so I started with that. Now, I know that making homemade baby food has its advantages: you know what's going into it, it's cheaper, better for the environment...But after trying it myself, I'm not sure it's worth it.

It can be pretty time consuming. I boiled the sweet potatoes in water and let simmer for twenty minutes. Then I let cool for another twenty minutes and plopped in the blender. I pureed, but that didn't really work too well, so I ended up just taking them out and trying my best to puree them in a bowl with a spoon. Then I used an ice cream scoop to transfer to storage trays. It wasn't hard, but it left a mess that took another ten minutes or so to clean up. So all in all, about an hour of work for 20 servings of sweet potatoes.

In a nutshell, homemade baby food: $5 for 5 organic sweet potatoes equals 20 servings, one hour of work, and carbon footprint? Hard to say how much water used in cleaning up.

Store bought baby food? $10 for 20 servings, one minute of work, 20 plastic containers to recycle.

Luke didn't seem to prefer one over the other.

I suppose it's kind of like cooking...there is something satisfying in creating something from scratch. It's likely I'll make Luke his food when the mood strikes. But when time is short, and energy is low, I'll stick to the old stand-by:

Bad Day? Let me help...

2009-02-04T16:14:00.001-05:00

Yeah Steelers!

2009-02-03T18:27:00.002-05:00

Overswimulation

2009-01-28T09:09:00.003-05:00

This time I was the one who was overstimulated. Luke and I attended MomSwim, a unique water based Pilates class using baby as resistance. Does that sound like a mouthful? Well, add to that the confusion that comes with figuring out how to get your baby and yourself ready for a swimming session, participating in a class that involves singing, signing, watching your baby experience "big waters" for the first time, trying to be friendly to other moms, trying to remember new names, and keeping your shoulders down and your ribs knit together the entire time. And when it's over, you go back to the locker room and try to rinse off in the shower with a baby, change him, change yourself while simultaneously trying to prevent baby from rolling off blanket onto dirty locker room floor, while a chorus of hungry, tired, cold babies grows louder louDER LOUDER all around you...

Did I mention that Luke had a blast and then slept for three hours? It's totally worth the chaos.

And these photos? Taken a few days after swimming. No way I was organized enough to shoot a photo during the actual class.

Luke's Apres-swim look

These are my cousins...I love my cousins!

2009-01-23T13:53:00.003-05:00

Jamie had a work related trip this week, so I decided to spend some time in Niskayuna with my brother's family. Luke had a great time bonding with his cousins!

Anna felt so grown-up being allowed to hold onto Luke while they sat together on the couch reading! Luke was so entertained by cousin Anna.

He also seemed to really enjoy hanging out with Sophie. Anna commented that they love each other so much that maybe they would get married some day. Hmmmm....

High Chair Time

2009-01-20T20:28:00.003-05:00

Luke tried out the restaurant high chair at the Moms Group lunch last Friday...

Inspired by this outing, I let Jamie put together Luke's high chair so he could continue the big boyness at home...

It comes with some fun toys too...

Enjoying Sunday's snow storm...

Shifting Perspective

2009-01-16T08:25:00.002-05:00

Now that Luke can (sort of) sit, everything old is new again:

Holy Moly, I've never seen Mr. Sun quite like this before!

By the way, who is jcmorris1? This is driving me crazy...please identify yourself!

My New Trick

2009-01-15T08:38:00.001-05:00

Baby Blues

2009-01-14T08:02:00.002-05:00

This photo is an oldie but goodie (late October), but shows where Luke gets his beautiful blue eyes. As he approaches the six month mark, we're excited that he's likely to keep them. Unfortunately, they're bound to be covered soon by eyeglasses since I started on glasses when I was three, and Jamie when he was nine. And let's not forget Sister Sugar, nearly blind in both eyes now.

Luke with Grandpa Hehir

Ear Infection Fun

2009-01-12T19:39:00.004-05:00

They say with parenting, it's important to keep a sense of humor. Luke came down with his first ear infection over the weekend, and while it hasn't been fun listening to his painful cries, we all managed to have a little laugh over his inability to consume his bubblegum flavored amoxicillin via syringe.

We'll try diluting in a bottle next, since obviously the current method isn't working.

Christmas Part Two

2009-01-10T21:38:00.006-05:00

There was a Christmas Part One post, so now there has to be a Christmas Part Two...

The bow was not Luke's idea

Speaking of Nanny, here's the special stocking she made for Luke

Enjoying a Christmas cuddle

Gnarly Barley

2009-01-06T11:36:00.005-05:00

Luke graduated to Barley cereal last night...

...and judging by the way he dives for the food, I think it was a hit!

Christmas Part One

2009-01-05T08:36:00.004-05:00

I'm borrowing these photos from Luke's Papa this time...Enjoy!

Getting ready for a Christmas walk

Luke loved his jumparoo at Nanny and Papa's house

And Beatles lullabies sung by Unkie Aaron

But most of all cuddles from Nanny and Papa

Hi Hunk

2009-01-02T15:47:00.005-05:00

I still have to download my photos from Christmas but my sister sent me these to satiate loyal Millikenbaby blogwatchers in the meantime!

Happy New Year to all!