The last half of 2015 has been pure on crazy. I'm happy to say that we were able to slow down enough to enjoy the Christmas season, though it was definitely our craziest. I really hope we can figure out how to slow our lives down in 2016.
Here are the highlights:
1st Sunday of Advent - MeeMaw and Mattie visit
Owen Family Sugar Cookie Tradition - Santa Mouse brings us all natural food coloring :) :)
Christmas Pageant at church - Cora is a cow; Jack is the Innkeeper
Thank you Grammy for my Santa bib!
Christmas pajama party for the babies and toddlers at ReNEW
Eating the jingle bells
Decorating my Christmas tree, I mean, daughter
1st Annual Urban South Christmas Party
Celebration in the Oaks tradition
It's crazier this year for some reason
Cora at the Nativity
A beautiful moment of calm with some Christmas books (our dying tree in the background) :(
We purchased a new minivan this month!! And then drove it 11 hours (over 25 hours) to Florence, SC to spend Christmas with my full family (all siblings returned for Christmas in Florence for the first time in 13 years!)
Can't forget to pack the baby!
The new spacious ride (the kids were very excited about the DVD player)
The trains!
Christmas brings families together :) GGDaddy and his only great granddaughter (so far)
A full living room with grandparents, four siblings, 3 spouses or spouses to be, 4.5 grandkids, 1 grand dog
So much excitement!
Uncle Chris was much adored by Jack - common interests: LEGOs and Star Wars
Cora's imagination helps her incorporate all her new toys at once
Luke during his 3 hour Christmas morning nap
Jacob trying to catch a nap during a present break
Cora and Billy are little buddies
Taking my baby outside naked in the 80 degree Christmas weather
Cora in her styling new bike helmet doing some art with Big Papa
The nicknames just won't stop! When you have a little love bug, you just can't give him enough squishy names :)
He's a thumb sucker and it's so sweet.
This little one is still our baby. He's not hurrying to grow up and we're not rushing him for sure. He's the baby in his classroom and that helps accentuate his baby-ness to me. He's been crawling for a month and is certainly curious about the world, but errs on the quiet and cuddly side.
Things Luke likes:
Me
My milk
Daddy (this was not meant to be in order, but Jacob would have to agree he ranks after my milk) :)
Jack and Cora (to a degree, but, hey, I get that) :)
Romanesco (Google it!)
Dried Figs
Earrings and hair
Exploring
Cora's gross and dirty Crocs (I swear there's a magnet on them)
His crib, he adores sleeping in his crib
Putting everything in his mouth
Bouncing in his newly acquired exersaucer - thank you kind friends!
Nighttime sleep - 12 hours every night without fail!
Things Luke doesn't like:
Being in the car for too long - he'll tolerate 20-30 minutes, but the hour long carpool commute can push him to his limits. Or maybe it's just the insanity of being surrounded by 2-4 loud children while having to ride backward in a moving vehicle while wearing what equates to a straight jacket. It's understandable.
Diaper and clothes changes. He's always trying to get away and definitely displays no appreciation for how high up he is.
Settling down for a nap in his daycare crib. He insists on being nursed or rocked to sleep at school - the complete opposite of his independent self at home where we lay him down awake and he puts himself to sleep.
Tomatoes and oatmeal - these have been consistent no's, but there's no way he can be a Landry and not eat oatmeal, so we'll keep trying.
Luke is watchful and aware, often quiet and observant. He is calm; he is easy; he is just a joy. When he's not with us, he's happy and independent and comfortable in his classroom. He has a very loving teacher and he's developed a bond with her that I love to see.
His tricks are clapping his hands and waving (and saying?) hi.
We love watching him manhandle his foods, awkwardly shifting chunks from hand to hand and stuffing them in his mouth :) It is a gross and messy eating stage, but while we don't have a dog, we do have a Jack and there's not much you can do to a piece of fruit that takes it past the point where Jack wants to eat it. Jacob and I are routinely grossed out by this but it's convenient and efficient nonetheless :)
We can't get enough of Luke and I am definitely soaking up and appreciating this baby time.
All the sudden he's so tall and skinny! And says things like "I don't care - whatever you want" with a total air of nonchalance. Who is this big kid?
This is so Jack right now! He's always catching an imaginary football pass :) Even as he goes to get a chest X-ray to see if he has pneumonia. (He didn't.)
Some things are the same! He's still a fruititarian who can put away mean amounts of fruit (and cheese). He still loves books and calms down instantly when a story is read BUT now he is starting to read. It's amazing to watch!
Some things are deeper. The interest in fire trucks is still there but the interests are more in-depth and grounded in real life - he wants to know about real fires and real disasters. The same intense focus he's always brought to fire fighting is now fixed on the world of sports. He knows who the Saints and LSU have played and how they did in each game. He can walk you through what happened in the Saints one Super Bowl win. And he's working some mad mental math skills as he plays solo games of football on the porch. He tracks his points and "the other team's" through a long series of plays.
Healthwise, he's had a nasty nose for more than a year and we are working to figure out why we can't get him cleared up. He had an awesome cardiology check-up and his heart is healthy and strong!
He's a conundrum. Why must you fight so much with your sister while being so tender to your baby brother? Why must you literally bounce off our walls one minute while showing such calm focus the next?
He's got a beautiful spirit. The kids love to get me to tell stories. I just start talking and out pop all varieties of tales. In one, "Luke's Bad Day," protagonist Luke was just not having a good day and as things continued to not go his way in the story and the world wasn't being kind, real tears welled up in Jack's eyes. THOSE are the moments that tell me we are doing something so right and that we have an amazing little boy. I love that inner compassion and I trust it will serve him well!
I look forward to quality time spent together over the holidays. I love his excitement and energy. When I feel prepared for it, we have such fun and enjoy life so much together!
Our breakfast in bed tradition. Jack requested lots of bacon, eggs, and a whole bagel with cream cheese!
Toto and I made this fruit and chocolate chip concoction to take to Jack's class. These are some of his favorite foods!
Ms. Julia had a special birthday celebration for Jack - so special and the whole family was invited to watch!
