a first prayer by luke heard around our dinner table recently:

"[something sounding like "Dear God"],

"Mommy, mommy, mommy, mmmm, mommy!"

"Amen!"

music to a mommy's ears :)

a note to luke

Dear Luke,

In less than a week you will be 18 months old -- the months are just flying by!  

This summer has been a big one for you.  Somewhere around 16 months you morphed into a little boy, and are no longer my baby.  You walk, run, tickle, wrestle, laugh, chitter-chat, and say lots of words and -- your favorite -- imitate all kinds of sounds.  Your favorites are truck siren noises, ruff-ruff when you see a dog, and pointing out cows wherever you see them.  It was particularly handy that this was one of your first and only words in June when we visited an Amish farm in Wisconsin -- you seemed like a talking-toddler star! :)  

In July you turned to a nomadic lifestyle as we spent time with your Harris cousins in South Carolina and then headed to the Adirondacks to see your Johnson cousins.  You found your time with these big kids truly inspiring and promptly decided to do your final weaning and dropped a nap all with two weeks!  Your cousin Tyler was excited to have another fun Harris boy to hang out with and he carried you all around the beach and beach house, while you loved every minute of it.  From your perspective, every adult was there for your amusement and comfort and you had all your aunts, uncles, Pops, Gogo and Gram wrapped around your finger as, one by one, you asked each of them to hold you.

S Carolina was also where you developed a passion for donuts.  They were our secret weapon for helping you stay quiet as the rest of the family slept a bit later than 6... but soon they were expected and you were not a happy man when no donuts were to be found.  You knew exactly where they were kept and you made sure to strongly encourage us to send them your way! :) 

In the Adirondacks, you and Sophie became fast friends.  She woke up in the morning and from

 every nap with "Luuu-kieee?" on the tip of her tongue and by the end of our time there you had even figured out how to say "So-phieee".  You held hands in your carseats and were partners-in-crime wherever you could sniff out trouble! Grandad's playset was a big hit and you LOVED to sit in his speedboat and pretend to drive.  In fact, at times it proved quite difficult to take you on boat rides because you could not understand why Daddy had to drive rather than you!! :)

After NY, we were headed to staff training in Atlanta.  I was worried you'd be frustrated with me for heading to training while you spent some time with babysitters but you were a champ.  You entertained everyone in the hotel lobby with floor acrobatics and charmed your sitters who took you swimming and out for cheeseburgers.

Heading home without Daddy, who had to go on a work trip, we decided we weren't quite ready for our travels to be done, so we hopped in the car with Grandma and headed to Michigan!  Your passion for Grandma is truly adorable and when she's around, Mommy is completely unnecessary!  You are peas in a pod and it warms both of our hearts.

Since we've been home, you've explored all sorts of things with your new big-boy confidence:

 water slides at the public pool, climbing up tall slides at the park, and poaching trucks and sand toys at the park.  Your passion for cars and trucks and "things that go" increases daily and we spend lots of time simply watching road construction when we're out and about.  You are also quite passionate about saying "Mommy" and use it at every convenience, much to my delight.  You have even developed its close relative, "Ommy", which indicates any other adult nearby for whom you have an affinity and who can help you reach your milk, have a wrestling contest, or some other activity that crosses your mind.

Your Daddy and I are so proud of all the ways you are becoming "You" and are fascinated by all you do!  We love you so much and are so glad you are ours :)  And we LOVE those kisses and silly, "aren't I so cute" grins -- keep them coming!

love,

Mommy, a.k.a., "Ommy", Mama, Ma, etc.

keri's quilt

my friend keri just turned 31 and so i decided to make her a birthday quilt. 

i love the look of the super quick + easy quilt in joelle hoverson's last minute patchwork and quilted gifts, so i decided to give it a try.  i made the dimensions a bit bigger -- more like 42" x 52"ish -- and used the "zigzag option" for the sewn ties since my machine is pretty basic and doesn't make those lovely satin-stitch ovals.

i was working with a few parameters, and overall i think i found a fun way to incorporate them. her apartment colors are sage, gold and some purple and since i was hoping this quilt throw would work well for her living room, i wanted to find a fun fabric that matched.  

i also wanted to find something that seemed to really capture a bit of who this fabulous keri is :)  she is one of my closest friends and a constant inspiration to me, so this was no small task. but i am really excited to give her the quilt and see what she thinks...  i went with an alexander henry aviary fabric in gold -- it is bright and cheery, pretty, and filled with a classic symbol of peace, the dove.  so, if you knew keri, you would agree that it captures her quite well :)

i was a little nervous that the reddish color outlining the doves might not be quite perfect for her place, but i loved the fabric and couldn't find anything else that matched her so well...  so i went with it. i hope she likes it! 

i'm excited about how it turned out -- very springy and refreshing.  i wonder if i should have used the washable wool batting for more loft, but thought the cotton would be better for spring/summer.  i'll definitely use this pattern again soon.

refreshing

last week was a refreshing one.

luke got his first taste of sand...
and some pool time.

and mom and dad treasured a certain 1-year-old's wrinkled-nosed grins and enjoyed some much-needed r&r. i actually read an entire book just for fun and relished every minute of it.

We’re both growing.

Well, my baby is turning 1 this weekend and for a variety of reasons, but one particular medical one, we’ve decided it’s time to wean. I am sad and have been really struggling with this decision, but in the last day I have become more confident and excited about what lies ahead for me and Luke.

He is growing up into such an amazing and fun little boy. He has *finally* started to tolerate a few sips of (sweetened!) milk from his sippy cup and officially drank some of my smoothie from a straw yesterday. We got him an organic chocolate milk this morning at Starbucks to celebrate. He is standing more and more on his own and learning to stack things and put them away in baskets and boxes. I love to see how satisfied and confident he feels when he has displayed one of his new-found talents! (Yesterday, he gathered all of his peas and corn onto a plate – and then added his sippy cup to the mix for good measure. What a grin!)

At the same time, he has begun to really develop opinions. Strong ones. I love and am terrified of this strong will all at the same time! Engaged in something he loves, he delights and charms you with his smile, laughter and chatter. But denied something he wants… watch out, here comes the tantrum!

We have taken two exciting steps in the past 24 hours. We are seeking to drink like a big boy, in addition to all of our other new big boy traits. And for those many things we are allowed to have, we are learning to lovingly ask like a big boy too! “Please” (or some form thereof, haha) will be elucidated in order to get an object, rather than mommy reinforcing this demanding behavior.

I have been sad to have to guide him into this new stage of toddlerhood, with having to say no and having to discipline. But as I’ve thought more about it I have warmed to it. Weaning and discipline do not mean that he will experience less love from his parents. It will be love in a new and more mature, multi-faceted form. It will be love that not only embraces him, but also molds him and forms him in new, more grown-up ways. I look forward to developing new ways of showing him that I love him – more cuddles, giggles, creative play – new ways of providing him with security and confidence. And, most difficult, but maybe most exciting – I am excited for Luke to grow big and strong, and, as he does, to know how to love others with his words and actions.

I’ve realized that as hard as these transitions might be for him, I am really struggling with the difficulty for me. I love when we’ve found a comfortable routine, when we can settle in and relax. But with kids, I’ve realized, they are always growing, always changing! They make us move forward, challenge ourselves, find new ways to grow and love. These transitions are hard but so good for me – I’ll need to be creative in love, creative in distraction, and very, very patient. And, probably most difficult, I will need to be consistent and on my toes, rather than simply reactive. Above all, I’ll need to trust God that He will use my imperfect actions and decisions to grow this boy into one who knows His love.

lukie modeling his rocket t!

3 - 2 - 1 blast-off

here's a pic of a birthday t i'm in the process of making for lukie. love the boy-ness of it :) can't wait to see it on his little 1-year-old self!