Casual Fashion

Life With Luke.. His First Year!

Just a few minutes before meeting our Luke Bear!

My dad already snapping photos!

His First July 4th!
Bahamas matching dad at 2mos!
Passport photo! At 3 weeks?
Seattle!
In Vail, CO at 5mos. All on the floor laughing while he pulls Johns hair!
Lake Louise, Canada – 4mos.
4 weeks old? At Starbucks! One of many trips!

During his first month!

Visiting Seattle at 5 months!

First Halloween – Dressed as Fitzy!

Luke’s first trip to NYC! 8mos.
Luke’s first flight to LA! Shirt says ‘moms favorite carry on!’
11mos and we have established who the boss in this house!
Luke’s Easter Attire
Luke’s first trip to Disney!

\

His 364th day w/us.. he got to experience In-n-Out Burger!

Oh sweet Luke-Bear Gemma, my one year old angel baby! (He is actually Luke David, by the way!) One year ago RIGHT NOW Luke arrived and he made our lives so much more beautiful and fun than I ever imagined or expected! We  call him Luke Bear because after he was taken out of me [Doc said “wow you got a husky, black headed baby” before I even saw him] and washed off, weighed, and shown to me the words that came out were “aww my baby bear!”. Something about his thick black hair, big cheeks, and sweet face just drew the words out of me! And stuck… so many refer to him as Luke Bear now! He weighed 9.5lbs and was a BIG boy!

He was a pretty easy going back from the get-go. Always chill, laid back, slept just fine and has always liked to eat! 🙂

The first couple of months were a huge learning curve! I remember crying daily about the day ending because him being another day older pained me. It was the FIRST time in my life that I no longer wanted anything to end or to go to the next phase. I used always look forward to finishing something – like college, medical school [John], or whatever but having Luke taught me to stop and embrace each day. His first year flew by – as everyone warned us! [I actually recommend not warning new moms of ‘it goes by fast’ because it makes it more sad.] In fact, you don’t even REALIZE how quickly they are changing until you see a photo on your phone from two weeks ago! Everyone has totally forgotten that Luke was born with thick black hair, then went bald, and now has a blonde combover!! 🙂 He eyes started off blue and eventually turned to green and by the time he was 8-9 months they turned more brown. He still has a bit of a green tint though!

Luke started smiling the first week we brought him home and he’s only continued to smile soon much more! We EAT it up! He is so smily and happy. This winter he got sick w/an ear infection and croup and I went upstairs to get him and despite his awful cough and runny nose, the minute I sang our song he started laughing and smiling! I just remember being so heart broken seeing him sick and then my heart breaking even more when he was still able to smile and laugh despite feeling so awful.

Luke has always loved music and dancing which just cracks John and me up! John and I love love love music and I love to dance so anytime music comes on and I start dancing and being silly he immediately starts moving and clapping and laughing! He also LOVES to talk.. like a lot! He talks so much and started saying mama and dada very young. He’s always been very vocal and talkative which I am guessing he picked up from me!

He loves to ride on Johns shoulders and to have a grip on my hair!

He loves Fitzy and wants to be Fitzys’ BFFL but Fitzy is not so sure about all of that jazz just yet. They are on decent terms, but Luke is always looking for a way to be closer to Fitz. Fitz usually just walks away if Luke approaches him. It’s kind of sad but we have seen Fitz become more open to the idea of Luke over the past 6 months or so!

Luke’s most coveted toys are: water bottles, empty boxes, mom’s makeup, Beauty Blenders, anything super messy, anything dangerous, anything breakable. He loves remotes like most kids so we got him one – a real one!!! Just w/no batteries and he tossed it to the side to grab the real remote out of John’s hand! There’s no tricking him!

He is a major people watcher! Oh my stars!! Anytime we go to a restaurant or on a plane, he has certain people he likes to  look at and analyze. He is always listening in to their convos, too! It is hysterical! He did it at Shake Shack in LA once – it was a young couple! The guy kept looking at him and smiling and I think the girl was getting annoyed and when she turned around and saw that her date was just smiling at Luke she burst into a smile. 🙂

He loves to watch Praise Baby!! It is some kind of magic because if I play a video on YouTube he immediately gets quiet and watches. My nieces Caroline & Olivia showed it to him once and he has loved it ever since!!! I like it too because they use great Christian music and it’s really sweet.

He’s been in the NYC snow and in the ocean in Florida and loved both – but I think he prefers the ocean!!

His first road trip was to Dallas at 3 weeks old and his first flight was to the Bahamas at 2 months old. He was easy to travel with all the way up until the 11.5 month mark! 🙂

He would happily go to anyone- anywhere all the way up until he was 10mos old- which I really liked! I thought it was sweet that he would smile and make new friends! Right around that 10month mark, it flipped. Suddenly he only wants his mom, dad, Bobo (my dad), Coco (my mom), my brother, and my brother in law, Chad! He won’t go to any of the nieces, nephews, or my SIL/or sister right now. He has always loved my brother Paul – like a TON. Paul makes him laugh a lot and does a lot of facial expressions so that could be why! And my brother in law, Chad, is 6’6 so he’s super tall and I think Luke likes the height?! But all kids love Chad, so I don’t know?!

He gets up at 6-7 every AM and plays with John! John goes to work at 6:30 so he and John play together for 30 minutes. Luke has toys in Johns side of the closet that he plays with while John gets dressed! I am grateful for this – I get to sleep through it!! 🙂 John is a really, really great dad and Luke is crazy over him!

Okay, I could go on forever but I just wanted to document some things since it’s his birthday! I am fighting tears so badly writing this – I didn’t realize it was so hard! John is like “why do you keep crying?!”. Luke’s just made our lives so much more meaningful. Everything is SO different with him – he has totally changed my perspective on how I see life. The things I once valued greatly mean so much less now.

Sweet Luke Bear, we love you SO much.. I can’t write anymore bc I am dying to put away my computer and go play!

 

Leave A Note

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

21 thoughts on “Life With Luke.. His First Year!

  1. Happy birthday to luke! it has been a joy to watch him grow his first year. being a mother is such a precious gift. enjoy celebrating your gift!

  2. My daughter is an early riser too. My husband would do the same thing in the mornings. They would hang out in the bathroom as he got ready for work. They still do and she’s 5 now! My son likes to sleep in until 8am thank goodness! Gosh those first 2 years of being a new parent are so special. It gets a little crazier with the second but still special.

  3. Happy birthday, luke!! I loved this post and all the pictures. WatChing you and john become Parents Has been so fun. You have the Sweetest family!! I had a lIttle bear of my own almost 3 mOnths ago and i swear it was only yester i was being wheeled into the OR to meet hIm. Thank you for sharing your boy With us!

  4. How beautiful! Wishing Luke many blESsinings on his first birthday and always! My sons are 30 and 25 and they were happy babies like your luke. They still treAt me like a queen and are very sweet to me and my husband. Now i just wait for my older one and his wife to bring me some grandkids to enjoy a beaUtiful journeY with babies again. Love and blessings!

  5. Awww what a sweet post – made me teary eyed. Happy Birthday luke bear! Love all these photos emily! My niece turned one on april 19th, we’re THROWING her a BIRTHDAy party tomorrow and I was printing pics of her and i could not believe how much she changed/grew and how quickly the YEAR flew by. Have a GREAT day! Xoxo

  6. Happy birthday lUke bear!! Such a sweet Post. My little guy just turned 7 months and i can’t believe how fast the time has gone by- I can totally relate. I hope he has an amazing birthday.

  7. With a Wonderful family luke will always smile. Beautiful words that only comes from the heart. Thank you for share with us your amazing journey with Baby luke.

  8. What a sweet post about your baby boy! You’re a great mama and luke is so blessed!! Happy Birthday to him:)

  9. Hi! Loved this Post! very cute and sentimental! Are you going to do a post on your favorite baby products?

  10. I ran across your blog and ABSOLUTELY love it, your style tips and your beautiful family (especially Luke 🙂 ). Please keep up the good work!

Browse More in: