Bwe-member? (Remember)

School has done wonders for Tyke!  He is learning so much and always repeating new facts to us.  When we ask where did he learn that he always replies, "I just learned it mom!"  Besides learning new things we are happy to report that Tyke is actually starting to get adventurous with his eating habits and trying new things.  I completely give Mrs. Josalyn credit for this because he has only gotten brave in the eating department since starting school.  Mrs. Josalyn has been able to convince him to try and like animal crackers and fruit loops.  Silly, right?  But he has raved about how good those treats were.  And so I tried to take advantage of this and told him he should always try new things because he'll never know if he likes them or not without trying.  He is still very timid about eating "new" foods and I have to cut them down to the most minuscule portion for him to try it and like and then eat more and more.

Tonight we had chicken legs and yummy potatoes for dinner.  I was able to convince him to try 1/8 of an inch of potato that he actually liked but refused to eat any more.  I also somehow convinced him to eat the chicken that I had pulled off of the leg for him.  He ate it well and then ate more chicken off of the leg I offered him as long as I held it.  I was so excited and so was Daddy!  After dinner was finished Tyke asked for a slice of bread with jam on it.  I don't recall him ever having that before.  We were dumbfounded and took advantage of Tyke's request.  Chad fixed him a slice of bread with strawberry jam and Tyke devoured it!  Chad asked Tyke, "Oh my gosh, who are you?!"  To which Tyke looked at him funny and replied, "I Tyke, don't you bwe-member?!"  LOL

San Rafael Swell

We had a little overnight getaway!  Chad's desert bighorn sheep hunt is still going (until November actually) and Jenny and Cody offered to take the boys overnight so that I could go with for a couple of days.  It was hard for me to leave those little stinkers but they had so much fun at Aunt Jenny's and we had so much fun playing down south!  We left early afternoon on Friday.  We parked the trucks and loaded up the side by sides with all of our gear and drove ten miles in to where we would camp.  The guys (Chad, my dad, and Chris) hurried and put up our tent and we unloaded everything that we didn't need for the hunt, and then we headed on out to look for some sheep! The scenery was amazing and pictures DO NOT do it justice!  I'm so glad I got to go and experience it.  We saw a few sheep that night.  Chad even took a shot at one that he happened to walk upon.  He was walking along a ledge and just stopped to look over and a giant sheep was lying on the cliff ledge 135 feet below him.  He backed up, dropped his gear, loaded the gun and went for it.  He missed but enjoyed the fun that it was.  Looking back now we're all glad that he didn't get it because it would have been near impossible to get the sheep out of that deep canyon.  We stayed out until dark and then headed back to camp.  We cooked up some hamburgers and brats for dinner which totally hit the spot.  Then we all sat around the lantern and talked.  It was cold and we didn't have a fire so the heat from the lantern had to do.  We killed two scorpions and a black widow near our tent!  I thought it would be a long miserable night (cold and poisonous critters!) but we all actually slept really well, other than the hard ground we had to sleep on.

We woke up early Saturday morning and met up with Corey and KaBree.  We got to watch the sun rise as we headed back out to hunt.  The San Rafael is insanely huge and full of huge, deep canyons.  We would be driving along on flat desert ground and then bam, it would open up into thousand foot drops into these huge canyons.  I took so many pictures and video but it all is nothing compared to experiencing it yourself!  We hiked and drove and hiked some more.  Chad got a shot at a ram that was on the run but he missed.  Those things are too fast!  We eventually made our way back to Chimney Canyon and went on a little hike there too.  It was getting dark and we lucked out and saw four rams walking along the steep hillside across the canyon from us.  The shot would have been perfect but once again, impossible to get to the sheep if we got him.  It was neat to watch them work their way along the hillside.  Heck, it was neat just to see them period!  All of the others I had seen had only been a blur up until this point.  Once the sheep rounded the hillside and were out of site we spent a little longer hiking and glassing for more before heading back to our rides going back to camp.  We hurried and took the tent down and loaded up and headed back to the trucks to go home.  We made a quick stop in Salina for dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant and then we headed home.  We figure that in the two days we were down there we saw nearly thirteen sheep!  That to me is pretty impressive considering the amount of land we covered and seen.  It was so much fun and I'm glad I got to go!

2nd Birthday Party!

Oh boy did we ever have fun celebrating Luke's second birthday!  We had a farm themed party and it couldn't have gone any better (well, we could have had more people come celebrate with us but the dang flu bug was making the rounds so it was a fairly small party, we hope everyone gets feeling well soon!).

I had seen a pig cake that I wanted to make for Luke's birthday so bad.  It was the cutest thing ever and the entire party theme started to revolve around it but then things changed quite drastically.  Work for me got super busy and I was putting in lots of hours and stressing about how I was going to get everything done that needed to be done.  Daddy offered to just buy a cake to relieve some stress but I would have felt bad about that.  I love being able to say that I have made all of my boys birthday cakes so far.  I have fun with it and enjoy it even though I do stress a little (OK, a lot) about it.  So the pig cake idea went out the window about two days before the party and a tractor cake came to mind.  I really slacked off on getting the cake baked and decorated (I usually like to do this a day or so before the party) but I pulled it off thanks to the help of all of my boys!  Frosting the cake was quite the feat with two little helpers and Daddy trying to sneak tastes of frosting.  

We partied yesterday on Luke's birthday.  I don't think he really knew what was going on but he loved running around and playing with his cousins and Tyke.  We had hamburgers and hot dogs for dinner along with some yummy smoked baked beans (Daddy's is an awesome cook!), and potato salad.  It was just a typical barbecue.  Luke devoured THREE hot dogs!  Mostly just the meat but still that just blew me away how much food he put away.  The kid can eat, that's for sure!  After dinner we sang happy birthday to Luke and he blew his candles out all by himself!  Gosh I love this kid!

After cake and ice cream (ice cream for Luke, I'm noticing he's not much of a cake fan right now) we opened gifts.  Luke got spoiled in the truck department and ended up with a ton of new trucks!  He especially liked the trucks that Nana and Great Grandma Jean gave him because, of course, they had lights and drove by themselves.  

Luke's loot:

Mom & Dad: new bike and a set of emergency crew vehicles

Tyke: Thomas the Train set and a giant bag of sixlets

Grandma Cheryl & Grandpa Terry: $30

Nana: truck that makes noise and lights up

Grandma Jean: Chevy truck and $10

Uncle Alex, Aunt Jo, Uncle David & Aunt Tiffy: two bags of M&M's and $15

Uncle Seth & Aunt Steph: remote control bulldozer

Uncle Corey & Aunt Stephanie: construction truck set

Robert Bruce (Bampa Terry's friend): $5

Uncle Chris & Aunt Danielle: two "Blaze & the Monster Machines" trucks

A great big thank you to everyone that helped make our little Lu's big day so special.  We love Luke so much and are so thankful for him!  Happy Birthday Bubba!

24 Months Old

Luke is two!  My baby is two!  I can hardly believe it and really don't know where the time has gone.  This little guy of ours is so much fun and so much work!  He's super sassy and super sweet and very high maintenance 90% of the time but we wouldn't want it any other way!

Louie has got the cutest little personality ever.  He's so spunky and sassy.  I know I say that a lot but he really is.  It amazes me how someone so little can be so in control of the entire household and always have us on our toes and laughing.  Luke knows what he wants and he knows just how to get it.  His tantrums are almost out of control.  You've got to love the terrible two's stage.  He can throw a fit like no one I've ever seen and the only way for us to win is for him to win and get what he wants.  He's such a little stinker!

Luke loves to growl.  He makes the most crazy sounding growls that sound like they should be tearing his throat apart.  He sounds like a mix between a cougar and a bear, seriously.  I need to get this recorded before he stops.  He growls at almost all animals that he sees, especially deer.  He also growls just to make Tyke laugh and at the dinner table while eating.  It's pretty comical and he knows it.  He's kind of a clown and likes to entertain us with his silly grows and faces.

Lu is obsessed with pushing big trucks around the house.  This activity drives me absolutely crazy and the kids know it but do it anyway just to push my buttons.  It's so noisy on the tile and I'm sure that's part of why they love to do it so much.  Luke is hilarious to watch.  He takes off running, bent over, pushing a truck and will just stop and ski across the floor in his socks until the truck crashes into a wall or the cabinets.  He giggles, turns around and does it again.  I swear he never gets winded and runs laps around the house doing this activity.  He does his best skiing while wearing footed pajamas.

Luke continues to be our little champion eater!  He eats almost non stop now-a-days it seems.  He's always in the pantry looking for "teats!" (treats).  His favorites are applesauce, animal crackers, fig newtons, and poptarts.  He luckily can't open our fridge or freezer, yet, but can open Grandma Cheryl's and helps himself (and his little double trouble buddy Jaxston) to cheese, gatorade and anything else that catches his trouble making eyes.  Luke LOVES cheese and meat.  He's not a very  big fan of breads.  He tries everything we put before him on the dinner table at least twice before making up his mind if he likes it or not.  He is the complete opposite of his big brother when it comes to eating and it's so refreshing to his mommy and daddy to not have to fight another picky eater!

Luke is starting to talk more and more.  He's still pretty quiet for his age but he's at least attempting words we ask him to.  He's so cute to listen too.  Some of his words are pretty sassy the way he pronounces them, such as: what?! why?! mah-umm (mom) and dah-add (dad).  It's hilarious when he gets into those sarcastic, sassy moods.  I never knew a two year old could do such a thing.  The latest words Luke has been saying a lot are:

• "T-wee!" (treat)
• "TO!" (toodaloo aka bye)
• "Baa" (bath)
• "Ow"
• "Bow" (Bowdee)
• "Towe!" (Cow)
• "B" (blanket, don't leave home without one!)
• "Meal" (milk)
• "Meal meal" (chocolate milk)

This isn't really anything new but I just have to take note of how handsome (beautiful is more like it but that's not a very manly description) this kiddo of ours is!  Luke has the most perfect little features.  He has the biggest, roundest dark brown eyes and huge pretty lips.  His complexion is a perfect tan and his hair is bleach blonde.  He is seriously so handsome and I just love him so much!  My boys are perfect!

Luke is wearing 2T jeans but they are definitely starting to get a little snug.  I'm not sure if we'll attempt the 3T size just yet or keep letting the 2T waist bands out.  2T shirts seem to be getting to short for him.  We've started putting him in 3T and even some 4T and they look much more comfortable.  2T jammies are getting hard to zip up so I'll be retiring them soon and moving him on up.  Luke is still in a size 6 diaper and not showing many signs of wanting to potty train.  He still attempts to go pee pee in the potty every night before his bath.  Most of the time there is nothing but he is still proud of himself.  He also informs us when he needs a diaper change sometimes.  Luke has two new teeth to report.  His top two year molars have come in.  I don't know when they did but I noticed them the other day.  It makes sense why he has been extra high maintenance lately.

(Just like his big brother Tyke, now that Luke is finally cooperative about having his monthly picture taken with his bear, we are done.  Two years is long enough for this mamma.)

We love our Bubba Lu so much!  I can't believe he's been with us for two years already.  He completes our family and we love him to the moon and back!  Happy 2nd birthday buddy!  We all love you so much!

First Concert

I took the boys to their first concert!  It was The Oakridge Boys held in Mona, Utah at the Young Living Farm.  Daddy was down south hunting so he missed out on this first.  We went with Nanna and eventually met up with Aunt Jenny & Quade, Aunt Tiffy, and Aunt Stephanie and her crew.  The boys had so much fun!  Luke enjoyed the music more than Tyke did.  Tyke enjoyed wrestling with Bowdee instead.  Luke would dance and clap and giggle.  We had so much fun and I'm glad we were able to go!

What's Been Going On

So it's been a day or two.  Things have been crazy around our place the last week or so.  We have been busy with work, sicknesses, hunting and everything in between.  Everyone is on the mend now.  The boys really got hit hard with whatever it is we caught.  They both dealt with stomach flu, pink eye and colds.

Luke still has a cough that nearly makes him vomit every time because he gets coughing so hard.  It doesn't seem to slow him down too much and he's in as much trouble as usual.  He's growing like a weed and we've noticed in just the last few days how heavy he has gotten.  We weighed him the other night and he weighs a whopping 32.8 pounds, meaning he has gained almost 3 pounds since his doctors visit a week ago!  The kid is solid.  Also, in just a few days he'll be celebrating his second birthday!  I still can't believe it!

Tyke is well again, just a slight runny nose.  He has been going to school and loving it!  He asks every day, "Do I doe to tool today mom?!"  and he gets a little sad when I tell him no.  It's so exciting to hear the things he's learning and doing and trying with Mrs. Josalyn at the Apple Academy!  

Chad is still hunting for his desert bighorn sheep.  The hunt ends in November so he still has plenty of time.  He and Bampa Terry have been going down every Saturday they can to look so far.

I've been dealing with sick kids, extra work (working in the office and at home), ladies league volleyball, and I read a book between all of that (I can't remember the last time I read a book...)

It's crazy that September is over already but we're so looking forward to October!  We have big things happening this upcoming month.  Tyke has his first official field trip to a pumpkin patch in Springville (yes I will be going!),  Luke has a birthday, and Daddy's hunt will start to get exciting and hopefully end on a good note.  AndI'm planning on taking the boys to their first concert tomorrow night with Nanna (in of all places Mona) while Daddy will be hunting.  And, that's pretty much it for now!

Tolors (Colors)

Tyke has been learning all about colors at school last couple of weeks.  Last Wednesday when I asked how school was and what he learned and what he had for a treat he replied, "We ate tolors mom and I liked them!"  I had no clue what he was saying or talking about, for days.  I could not for the life of me translate what tolors was.  I had him explain to everyone we could to see if they could understand and no one could.  Finally in his frustration one day he pronounced it plain as day: "TOLORS!" aka colors.  Sometimes we have a hard time understanding Tyke because he can't say his "s" or "c/k" sounds.  Once we figured out it was "colors" that he was saying it didn't take long to figure out the mystery that he had had fruit loops for his snack and he loved them! Yay a new food added to the small list of things he will eat.

Today Tyke walked out of class carrying his first art project: a rainbow made of fruit loops!  He was so proud of it and exclaimed, "My teacher says we can hang it on da fridge!"  And that's right where it went!  Daddy and I were both super impressed at how uniform the rows of fruit loops look for saying we've never really done arts and crafts with Tyke (we're slackers, I know).  We questioned him if he had had any help and he got offended and replied, "No! I just do it all by mine self!  My teacher did da glue."  If that's true then way to go Tyke!

It has been so fun watching Tyke grow and learn in just the few short weeks he has been in school.  He is learning a lot and getting more brave about eating new things.  He loves school and asks daily if it's time to go yet.  We are so happy that he likes school and so proud of him!

Concrete

Elk Camp 2016

So it was the opening weekend of Daddy's desert big horn sheep hunt but everyone he has talked to has advised him to NOT waste his time going down there until the end of October when they'll actually be out to find them.  We had plans to go camping down there (San Rafael) anyway so that the boys could feel like they were a part of the hunt (1. they aren't very quiet and 2. there are tons of cliffs and rugged terrain so this was just going to be mostly for fun).  Instead though we decided to stick close and go camping up Fairview canyon where one of Daddy's friends (Blake Ellsworth) had an elk tag.  Of course we had to get sick, all of us.  It started out with Tyke and his cold/pink eye.  Then Thursday night Luke decided to start throwing up.  We were hoping he was over it and decided to hurry and pack up and go camping, hoping the fresh air would do us all some good.  Well, Luke continued to throw up, on and off, and then on Saturday Tyke decided he would join in on all the fun.  He started throwing up too.  Earlier that morning both boys had enjoyed playing in the dirt and riding their bikes.  Around five o'clock I finally decided it was time to call it quits and take the boys home!  Tyke was miserable and I didn't want anymore barf in the trailer.  We left Daddy behind so that he could help Blake and the others find an elk.  On the drive home we had plenty of messes but we made it home in good time.  I got the boys bathed and cleaned up and gave them some Gatorade and we just lounged around in the living room, being sick.  I was next to catch it, around 9 p.m. that night.  Daddy text and said he wasn't feeling too great either so he headed home too, borrowing Uncle Chris' truck and leaving our trailer and belongings behind.  Sunday was spent with all of us sick and resting, except for Luke.  He was feeling pretty good and got really grumpy that no one would pay him much attention so he threw a 2 1/2 hour tantrum that was fun to listen to while dying of a headache and the stomach flu.  We survived though and we are all mostly on the mend (Tyke is still struggling to get his energy back and Luke now has pink eye!).  What an adventure our weekend was!

Pink Eye

Poor Roni. He missed his second day of school thanks to catching a horrible cold.  It started out with an earache on Monday morning that woke him and I up around 5 a.m.  He was crying and in pain so we gave him some Motrin and kept it in his system all day and he did great.  He went to school, which I'm so glad he didn't have to miss his first day, and came home and took a good long nap.  After that it seems like it was all down hill.  He would complain that his ear hurt but only if we asked about it first otherwise it didn't seem to bother him much.  He had a runny nose, watery eyes, complained of a sore throat and was just not himself.  Tuesday morning was the same.  We ran the humidifier and the diffuser with some OnGuard in hopes that it would all help clear him up.  Instead on Wednesday morning he woke up the same but with a nasty, goopy eye and a croup sounding cough, ugh!  He and Luke still went to Grandma Cheryl's but I didn't let him go to school.  He was pretty upset about it but he was miserable.  I gave him a dose of his croup medicine that we keep on hand and he had some Motrin a little later on but only the croup cough seemed to clear up.  I called to check on him later in the day and Grandma Cheryl informed that both eyes were now goopy and he still complained about his ear and throat.  I finally called and got him an appointment with Dr. Fullmer to rule out an ear infection or pink eye.  Well, he has pink eye!  Dr. Fullmer also said that the ear Tyke has been complaining about is fine, no infection, but it does have some fluid that could be causing pressure/pain for him and that it could possibly turn into an ear infection.  Tyke is contagious for the next 24 hours and we have to put prescription eye drops in both eyes, four times a day, for five days, ending on Monday afternoon.  He got the okay to go to school on Monday too, yay!  Now as for the drops, if you want to see a tantrum on Tyke's end and a wrestling match on ours you should watch us try to get those dang things in his eyes.  He puts up a good fight and it has ended with crying every time.  It's going to be a long five days around here!  Get feeling better Tyke!

Oh yeah, and one funny story.  We explained to Tyke that he has pink eye and he got so mad at us and said, "No I don't! I has brown eyes!"  He's a little confused about what we're talking about, ha!

First Day of School!

Hooray for the first day of school at the Apple Academy!  We were so nervous how Tyke would do but according to his teacher Mrs. Josalyn "he rocked it!"  She said she was worried too and then really surprised at how well he did.  He even talked to her!  Tyke was a little timid as we walked him to the door and Mrs. Josalyn put her arms around him to bring him in.  He raised his arms to cover his eyes and away he went and away we went, both sad and excited for him.  It was so fun to pick him up from school and watch him run out with the biggest smile on his face.  He exclaimed, "Mom! I didn't even cry!"  Good job buddy!!  We're so excited to see what he learns this school year and how much he grows.  His little mind is like a sponge and he is always telling us interesting facts that he has learned on his own or from his cousins.  I can only imagine how much he's going to take in this school year.  Yay for preschool!

Meet the Teacher

Well we met with Tyke's new preschool teacher today and things went better than I thought they would.  Tyke had been so excited to meet Mrs. Josalyn up until last night and then he got nervous and whimpered a lot every time we mentioned it.  We let Tyke wear his new school shoes to go to meet his teacher which we thought would get him excited.  We also let him have a Hostess cupcake before leaving, his new favorite treat, but it was all in vain.  We dropped Luke off at Aunt Rachelle's house while we went to our appointment.

Tyke was excited, ish, until we walked into Mrs. Josalyn's home.  He immediately got nervous and stared out the window to the car, totally ignoring us.  When it was our turn to meet Mrs. Josalyn he really clammed up.  We followed her down the stairs to the classroom, er, dragged Tyke down the stairs.  He refused to sit at the table and clung to his Daddy for dear life.  We couldn't get him to even look at his teacher.  He was so shy and stubborn.  We let her know that he's been shy for a few months now and she let us know that the best thing we could do for him is just drop him off for school and leave.  He'll cry for a second or two and then be fine.  That is going to be so hard for us as parents to leave our baby crying but we know that he will be in great  hands and have so much fun!  Tyke got to go "shopping" for school supplies while I filled out paperwork.  Mrs. Josalyn had a cute little toy shopping cart and asked Tyke to push it into the next room to shop but of course he refused.  Daddy helped  him and helped him pick out some cool new supplies.  Tyke was seriously so nervous!  He never said a single word to Mrs. Josalyn and would answer her questions by shaking his head yes or no very quickly and silently.  I think he may have looked at her a total of three times haha.

When we were done and headed back up the stairs she asked him what color Elmo is, is he blue? And Tyke quietly responded, "No, he red." Then realized he had talked to his teacher and got embarrassed.  Baby steps huh?  Mrs. Josalyn offered Tyke a sucker before leaving and he was hesitant for a few seconds but then grabbed one and dashed out the door and was to the car before she had the door entirely opened.  Once we got out to the car Tyke was back to his old happy self and super talkative.  I really hope that he can adjust well at school and enjoy it.  It sounds and looks like he is going to have a great school year full of fun and learning!  We are so excited for him!

Like A Bear

Oh Tyke, what a silly boy!  Today at Grandma Cheryl's house, while playing outside Tyke dropped his pants and "used the potty" (pooped) in the yard.  Grandma Cheryl couldn't believe her eyes.  She told me what had happened and I asked Tyke why he would do such a thing?!  His reply, "I pooped out-tide like a bear mom!"  I told him we don't do that when there is a bathroom nearby, to which he replied, "Well, aminals do it!"  And there you have it.  I can't help but laugh and be thankful that there were no accidents but really Tyke?! Go inside the next time,  haha.

Labor Day Weekend 2016

We had the best time camping with the Kay and Sutherland clan this year for Labor Day weekend up Nephi Pole Canyon!  The weather was pretty much perfect, other than the wind on Sunday, and the company was great!  We ate tons of good food (Luke even enjoyed a stick of butter, ick!), played hard in the dirt, hiked the hill behind our trailer a few times, rode bikes, played in the creek, listened to good music, and sat around the campfire and roasted s'mores while visiting with the fam.  It was such a perfect weekend and we're so glad we were able to go!  The boys were absolutely filthy at the end of each day but they loved it!  It was so nice to be able to sit and relax a bit and not worry about what they were up to because they were both big enough to take care of themselves somewhat.  Luke enjoyed helping himself to the cooler for Capri-suns multiple times a day.  Tyke could have cared less to eat or drink because he was having so much fun with his buddies.  It was just a great weekend and we couldn't have asked for a better time!

23 Months Old

My baby boy is one month away from turning two and I still can't believe it!  I can't believe it has gone by so fast.  Time needs to slow down!  Being a parent is the most bittersweet thing I have ever experienced in my life!  I love watching my babies grow and thrive but I miss them being so little.  Mr. Luke just continues to get bigger and smarter and sassier by the day and I love it!  I love his spit fire little personality!  He definitely keeps us on our toes around here.

Luke is a typical toddler and into everything.  He has a curious, mischievous little mind and works hard all day long using it.  He doesn't miss a single opportunity to get into things that he shouldn't.  He thinks he's such a big helper when in fact most of the time he's just getting into trouble.

Luke likes to tease and is constantly "tickling" us while saying "tee-tee!" (tickle tickle).  He likes to grab things he knows aren't his, like the phones, drinks and remotes, and hugs them tightly while pulling a joking face and exclaiming sassily, "MINE!"  He likes to argue a lot with that word.  It's pretty fun to play along with him and getting him going.  He's such a goofball!

Luke has started to really enjoy helping around the house and helping out in general.  He gets so excited and grins from ear to ear when we give him assignments to do, such as get the chocolate milk mix from the pantry and then put it back.  It's the most adorable thing to watch him help out.  He also loves helping Bampa Terry on the farm!  He doesn't miss a single chance to go with Bampa to move water in the mornings (the cows are gone now, sadly).  He seriously thinks he's so big!

Luke is starting to show more and more interest in toys.  He's never really done that before and he's never really had a favorite thing before, other than his minky blankets, but lately that's been changing.  I've noticed that he is very interested in the toy tools and packs them around a lot.  He mostly just bangs on things with them but he always has a handful of tools.  If it's not tools then it trucks.  He has a few favorites right now.  One is a remote control truck that he likes to push around and rip the tires off.  I like watching him when he's concentrating on tearing that poor little truck apart.  I can just see the wheels turning in his mind as he takes them off and tries to put them back on.  It reminds me a lot of his Daddy and Bampa, so curious.  He also loves pushing around the bigger Tonka trucks, like the dump trucks and loaders.  He's pretty fast at it and it exhausts me to watch.  I don't know how a kid can run around so much and not get winded!  I'm jealous!

We have officially gotten rid of all bottles in our home.  It makes me a little sad but it's been nice.  Luke is still trying to adjust to this and most nights is not happy with us at all but he's getting better.  While we were camping for Labor Day this past weekend I realized I had forgotten to pack bottles (who does that?! Me! I did the exact same thing with Tyke once upon a time ago...) and when I realized it I panicked.  Daddy decided there's no time like the present to get rid of them and so we went for it.  I was so worried that Luke would be a miserable grump at bedtime and during the night.  I was mostly worried about waking up the entire camp and calling in the coyotes with his loud howling when he doesn't get what he wants.  Surprisingly he did great!  Bedtime was a little rough for him but he was so exhausted from playing hard all day that crashed pretty quickly and slept through the nights.  It was so nice!  Poor Luke cries for "mil" in the middle of the night and keep repeating himself until he gives in and takes the sippy of milk.  Next step is to eliminate milk at bedtime and during the night.  I look forward to the day when this little stinker sleeps through the night!

Luke's vocabulary continues to grow and he's saying and trying more and more words.  He still isn't saying 2-word sentences but we're getting there.  He communicates so well now and we are understanding him better and working with him on his words.  If we don't understand he either takes care of himself or throws a fit, ha!  Words that Luke is currently using a lot are:

• "Pea!" (Please)
• "My!" (Mine)
• "Mea!" (Meat)
• "NO!"
• "Teeee!" (Teeth, when he wants his teeth brushed, which is always!)
• "No, Dad" (His first 2-word sentence!)
• "Poo!" and "Pee!" (Lu is starting to show signs of potty training and definitely hates to have an unclean diaper, he lets us know what he's done and to fix it!)
• "Choo-choo!"
• "Mil" (milk)
• "Coooo!" (cookie)
• "Why?!"
• "Hem!" (Help)
• "Rye!" (Ride, when he wants to go for a ride in the rhino)
• "Mine!"
• "Tee-tee!" (Tickle tickle)

Our little Lu is getting so big and is not so little anymore.  He finally wants to snuggle with his Mommy some now and sometimes it's a little awkward because of how big he is.  He likes to be held from time to time but he's definitely getting too heavy for me.  It makes me so sad!  I still pick him up and I still snuggle with him but I can tell I won't be able to for long at the rate he's growing.  I look back at his baby pictures and miss my little baby but I sure love the spunky little man he's turning into!

Luke is now in 2t clothing all the way.  Sometimes we even put him in 3t shirts and they fit fairly well!  He is starting to help/cooperate when it comes to getting dressed now.  Luke is in a size 9 shoe with room to grow length wise but they aren't wide enough for his chubby little feet so he still refuses to wear them 95% of the time.  He is getting better at it though.  He loves his boots and wears them the most.  He's in size 6 diapers and showing signs of wanting to potty train but I'm not sure we're ready for that just yet.  He's still just a baby to me.  He watches his big brother like a hawk and wants to be just like him in every way.  Lu has two new teeth to report.  He has had a rough month with his 2 year molars coming in.  He has struggled with fevers, sore mouth, and a sore bum from diarrhea.  Both of his bottom molars are in now (right side was noticed on 8/17 and left side was noticed on 8/31) but still working their way into place.  I'm not sure if it's because of the teething or not but Luke has started biting again and man does he have some sharp chompers!  Poor cousin Jaxston gets the brunt of it.  Luke thinks it's funny or sometimes he does in frustration but he always gets in trouble for it and he just doesn't seem to care.  

We love our Bubba-Lu so much!  He seriously is so much fun and so much work but we wouldn't have it any other way!  He loves his Daddy and big brother so much (and me too I'm sure but he only ever speaks their names now a days).  He enjoys life and knows how to get what he wants out of it.  He's stubborn and smart, grumpy and goofy, wild and crazy and just plain cute!  We love you so much Bubba!!  One more month until your birthday big boy!  Time please slow down...