Luke's First Christmas

Wow! Christmas has been unreal this year. First, we started off Christmas Eve with Greg's family. The Hagen Christmas is always fun. Except this year a non returnable gift was given by someone in the form of a stomach virus. All I can say is that the night of Christmas Day was not fun for ME! We didn't celebrate the Ross Christmas yet because Luke's uncle Boog and aunt Brown were still in Detroit, but we gonna celebrate soon. Christmas morning was fun watching Luke (and Greg) get excited about opening our own gifts. I could have gotten off cheap with Luke by just wrapping empty boxes because he just loved ripping them open. Now Greg really likes whats inside. Then we traveled to Fulton for Christmas with the Toosley's. It was so much fun (up until the stomach virus hit me), but I was glad my mom was there. Even Greg made a great nurse throughout the night helping me. Overall, Luke had such a great time with family and friends. He of course got way to much for his first Christmas, and I heard it only gets worse from here.

Dressed to Hunt

Today I dressed up Luke like he was ready to go out in the woods with his dad. Greg keeps saying when is he going to be ready to go out with me, and I just tell him to wait. So I put on his Carhart overalls and his camo hat (just like his dads) to let him know that he'll be ready soon. Does this kid look like dad or what?

Hi Grandmas and Grandpas!

I figured Luke's grandparents were missing the little booger. They haven't seen him in a couple of weeks. So here's Luke saying Hi from his rocker. He's very funny each day he likes to sit in his rocker and watch everything in his room.

Flexability & the Monkey

Luke must get his flexability from me because Greg can't even touch his toes! I sit and laugh now everytime I change his diaper or put him on the floor. He instantly reaches for his toes. He has to pull off his socks because they're in the way. Then he grabs his toes and pulls them straight up into his mouth.

He also has gotten into the habit of making monkey faces and sound effects to go with it. I'm not sure where he learned this but it's pretty funny to watch him.

Just Hanging Out

Luke and I seem to hang out together all day. Everytime Greg calls he says "Are you guys just hanging out?" It never seems to matter where we go Luke always has a smile, and I have fun too.

Solid Foods Are MESSY!

Well, the peds doc said that it was fine to start Luke on a little solid food (other than his cereal mix). So we ventured to the store to see what we could find. I was also informed to start out with the orange colored food. I think he told me why, but I wasn't paying attention. I can only listen to all that mumbo jumbo for a little while and then my mind wonders to all the posters on the walls and before you know it doc's done talking. Good thing he gives me a print out of what we talked about for Greg. Anyway, back to the store. Luke and I looked at the selection of orange colored baby food. None of it looked great. The peaches topped my list, and if Lukes anything like myself and Greg they will top his list too (compared to the other choices). I started him off with sweet potatoes, and according to his facial expressions didn't care for it. The same went for the squash and carrots. Hopefully, I saved the best for last (peaches)!

Luke's New Pal Ralph

Ralph is Luke's new pal. He still really likes Otis, but Otis never gets close enough for Luke to touch him. It is really starting to frustrate him now. So he now has his own little puppy named Ralph (we stole the name from his uncle Boog). He naps with Ralph, rides in his stroller with Ralph, and even chews on him. The best part about it is that Ralph can't bite him for doing any of this. Otis doesn't seem to mind either.

Football Fan

I decided to dress Luke up for the weekend football games. Maybe when he gets bigger he'll play football like his uncles and his grandpas. I like Peyton Manning so Luke does to now.

Professional Picture Time

Yes, I finally took Luke in to have his pictures taken professionally. It was such an experience. First, Luke hammed it up like he always does with a crowd of people. Then while they were taking pictures they invited others to come in to watch this kid who smiles non stop. Then I of course got suckered into buying way more than what I should have. They did ask if they could put Luke's picture up on their display wall. Of course I said Yes (as long as they gave me a portrait free). He enjoyed it so much I think I'll take him back for more in a couple months. This time we had better tell Greg before we go.

Martha Stewart I am NOT!

I definitely never said I was a good cook, or that I even like to cook. I really think I could live off of mac and cheese or frozen pizza, but I am trying to become better. I have cook books and I even watch cooking shows. The only problem is my stuff NEVER turns out the way theirs do. It's so frustrating. Then when I go shopping for the ingredients I don't even know what some of it is. Somehow I do whip it all together. I kinda feel good about myself in the end, that is until Greg gets home. He kinda just looks at my dish and says is that dinner. Then all that feel good about my accomplishment goes straight out the door. He always ends up eating it though. I think I need to just leave the fancy dishes to Martha or at least Outback. Luke thinks it funny when his mommy doesn't know what she's doing. Maybe that's why he such a happy baby all the time.

M.I.A

That's what has happened to Lucas, myself, and Otis. What started out as a quick Sunday visit to Fulton has ended up to be .... well we're still here and it's now Wednesday. Boog has come in for his yearly hunting trip with Greg so we decided we might as well stay here. It's so much fun coming home. I get to see my friends and family. Plus, my mom takes care of me and Luke while we're here. It's GREAT! I really miss Gregory though so I guess we'll have to go back home ... maybe tomorrow. As you can see in the pictures, Luke is not ignored one second here, and he is loving all the attention. He laughs at night when we feed the catfish. Otis just enjoys running on the farm all day. He comes in every night wore out.

The Shirt Says It All

I laugh everytime I see Lukie in this outfit. I have to admit that the message is so true! Does this kid look like his dad or what?

M-I-Z-Z-O-U

We are going to start the basketball season off early this year. Luke decided to start cheering for MIZZOU now so maybe they will do better in the NCAA tournament this year. We know that they will beat the Illini (sorry Aunt Trish). I was giving the MIZ ZOU cheer and Luke decided to join in. I'm not real sure Otis is a big MIZZOU fan. He kept biting me everytime I cheered. He does seem to really be taking to Luke. Luke thinks that they are best friends.

Luke's Halloween Fun

Well, this Halloween was a little different for us. No boozing it up at a Halloween party with creative couples costumes. No this year was all about Luke. First, we had to get him ready (which wasn't easy because he didn't really like his fluffy costume). Then it was traveling to the grandparents so they could get a peek at the cowardly lion. Grandma and Grandpa Ross had treats at their house waiting, and then of course plenty of pictures. It was quite the jungle over there because not only did they have a lion, but Luke's cousin Carson was there as a monkey. They were the two cutest little animals I've ever seen. Then it was off to Fulton to see Grandma and Grandpa Toosley. Wouldn't you know it they had treats too. We all played around at Fulton and Luke even let his Grandma T give him a bath (Luke's favorite time). After he fell asleep we packed him up and headed home. We would have stayed, but Greg was anxious to get into the woods the next morning. It doesn't seem like we did a whole lot, but boy was I wore out.

Can you tell his grandparents love him?

Another Halloween Luke Look

I couldn't resist this picture of Luke in yet another Halloween outfit. I think we have finally worn each one. Thank goodness tomorrow is Halloween.

(I think he is posing as a little devil in this one!)

Getting Ready For Halloween

The Ross House has slowly turned into a haunted house. The pumpkins are bought and the decorations are up (the cob webs were left over because I didn't clean). The only thing left to do was carve the pumpkins. We carved 3 pumpkins this year. One for each for each of us. Luke put on one of his costumes to get into the spirit. He's going to be the Cowardly Lion from the Wizard of Oz this year for Halloween. I thought he looked cute in his girafee too so I had to get a pic. I can't say yet who carved what pumpkins because we are having a competition to see who had the best pumpkin. You decide for yourselves.

To Work or Not To Work

Well, I finally had to make a decision on what to do about going back to work. I absolutely love teaching kids. I knew that was my calling a long time ago, and I have loved it. I have touched (not physically although I was tempted many times) alot of kids throughout my 10 years. I have made them my priority. However, now it's time to make Luke my priority. I just couldn't leave him for that long each day. So I made the decision (with lots of help from family and friends) to not go back. Teaching will always be there when I return, but this time with Luke will not. He will grow up, and I just don't want to miss all the little things. I want to be able to look back when he's older and tell him the stories of his childhood. I know in my heart of hearts that I am doing the right thing. I am going to miss my friends at work, but hey I can always visit. Besides, could you resist this smile! Luke was excited when I told him.

Roly Poly Lukie

Luke is now on the move! No, he can't crawl yet, but he loves to roll. We were sitting in the living room watching TV when Luke decided that he no longer wanted to lie on his stomach so he slowly flipped over. It's funny to watch him. He really takes his time, and sometimes decides that lying on his side is good for a little while. Then when he's tired of his side he flops on his back. Then he goes back to playing with his toys. So far he can only turn over from his stomach to his back. He isn't to worried about flopping onto his stomach. I did get the whole process recorded, but I tried to edit it a little so you got to the actual rolling part.

It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown

We had our first trip to the pumpkin patch this year. It was fun. Going there always gets me ready for Halloween. We made this years trip a family affair. Brown and Boog were in from Detroit, so the whole Ross family went for a photo opt. Carson is more at the right age to enjoy the pumpkin patch atmosphere, but we all had a good time. We even went out for some Steak-n-Shake afterwards for lunch! It's something that we'll have to do each year because Luke will enjoy it more in the years to come. I already read him the story of the Great Pumpkin (and we watched the cartoon). They are my absolute favorite, and I'll have to make sure that Luke hears the story every year!

Just Monkeying Around

Luke has been a real help to me outside. NOT! He does enjoy the outdoors. He laughs during his daily stroller ride around the neighborhood, and he talks to me while I push him around the yard, but god forbid you stop moving. He doesn't enjoy that at all. He actually turns into a child that I've never met before (similar to Gremlins when you feed them after midnight). These past couple of days we've been trying to get the load of mulch spread around the house. What should have taken me a day has now taken me 4 (and still counting). Otis just plays while I work, but I loved the way he posed for this picture.

First Parties and the Art of Conversation

So many things have happened since my last post. Luke of course has changed so much. He's really starting to interact more with everyone. He's fascinated in Otis (our Great Dane). He follows him all over the room, and he's constantly talking to him. I feel sorry for Otis when Luke's able to get around on his own. Luke also got to go to his very first birthday party. His cousin Carson turned 1 last Tuesday, but we partied on Sunday for him. It was fun to watch him tear up his presents. He didn't seem to care about the presents just the wrapping paper! Luke enjoyed all the company. He is a real people person I think. He has also tackled the art of conversation. He has become a real chatterbox recently. His Grandma Ross thinks we might have another Boog on our hands. I don't mind though, I really enjoy our time. The two of us really chat it up during the day. I tried to record it so everyone could hear him. This is my best attempt at it, but he was more interested in listening to me I think.

Luke vs. the Doc

Well, today was the dreaded day of vaccination shots for Luke. I was lucky that Greg was off so he could come with us. My plan was to let Greg hold him that way Luke could blame the pain on Greg and not me (I know that's bad), but I would much rather him be mad at Greg than me. Everything was great. He weighed in at 13 pounds 11 oz. and was 23.3 inches long. He seemed to be meeting the check list of things that he suppose to be doing at this age. Then came the time for shots! Greg held on to him, and they ended up sticking him in both legs. I felt sorry for the little guy (no lidocaine and those needles were big). I had to chuckle when Greg looked at the doc and wanted to know the needle size, and then suggested a smaller less painful size (It's great having a husband that deals with this kind of stuff daily). I quickly had to explain that Greg was an Anesthesiologist and not a drug dealer. The doc was looking suspicous when he started talking needle sizes. Luke didn't seem to mind though. He let out one little cry, and then I gave him a bottle. He was laughing after that. What can I say my kid loves to eat!

He didn't seem to be very mad at Greg either.

The Tradition Lives On!

Yes, it's true what they say about Cub fans, we don't die we multiply. I am now passing that love on to my son. My dad had me at or watching Cubs games at a very young age. It's a special connection that the two of us share, and now we're going to let Luke in on it too. The Cubs played the Cardinals this weekend in St. Louis, but I didn't take him. Don't worry he'll be there when he can offically cheer with me, and sing take me out to the ballgame!