The Landry Family Odyssey: May 2016

Still talking, not walking, but getting some good practice!

What Luke Loves
- His mama milk - this has been the month where he's started naming nursing and going in search of the goods
- His "da-da" who just the sight of makes Luke chuckle
- The ducks! Every time we pull in the driveway, Luke knows he's near the ducks and he starts saying "Duck!!" or "Hi Duck!" and if he knows we're walking over toward them he starts clapping his hands and squealing. So the ducks have gotten a major reprieve as we were contemplating getting rid of them but now I couldn't do that to Luke. He, Cora, and I have taken over giving them water and feeding them every day and they both love it.
- Freedom to explore
- Climbing the stairs over and over
- Eating paper (books, toilet paper) or really any wood product (furniture, etc.)
- "Buh!" he happily sits and flips through his books

This girl is a great big sister!

- "Nana!" bananas are still his favorite food, so much so that this term now means banana and also "Give me something I want to eat!" His teachers would laugh because they'd pull out his lunch box and he'd be all "Nana, NANA!" leaving them to say "Luke, your mama didn't send you a banana!" We now all know this means "Give me a banana OR something else equally appealing"
- Oranges (can't say it but can scarf down two whole satsumas and still want more)
- A whole pear, but watch out because he will eat the WHOLE pear, stem and all, if you aren't paying attention

Luke still swipes or throws foods he doesn't want. He is still very PICKY and is subsisting on fruit, bread, and breastmilk.

- His bed - he points to it and would like you to just leave if he's really tired.
- He's developing a fondness for his muslin blanket set, the same type of blankets that Cora so strongly attached to. He carries it around in his teeth sometimes and will clutch it as he lays down to sleep.

Luke and "To-ta"

What Luke Says Now
- "To-ta" for Cora - I love it!!
- "Ow-sigh" for outside
- "Ma-ma mih" for mama milk
- "wa-wa" for water
- 2 word phrases: Hi Da-da, Hi To-ta, Hi Ja-Ja, Hi Duck!
- "ah-pul" for apple

Luke still is a great sleeper and needs his two naps. We did hit a snag this month where he became more sensitive to noise. I always check on all three kids before I go to bed and, for Luke, that means opening his door. It creaks and it started waking him up. And then he'd refuse to go back to sleep without nursing. And after nursing, he'd cry again. Only Jacob could settle him down. So after a few nights of this, Jacob is looking at me like I'm crazy for continuing to check on him, but when it's been 4 hours since I've seen the child, I just want to lay eyes on him, make sure he's breathing and is under a blanket. We've never needed a monitor and it seems silly to get one so late in the game but we may try to borrow a video monitor or maybe oil some hinges??

Luke and Addison at school

In other news...

There is so much else going on with our family (Urban South, big work decisions, Kindergarten graduation, parenting challenges) but the last few months have felt like we were riding a wave that never slowed down. As I sit here planning out the last week of school, I am so glad and so grateful that we are about to have a chance to breathe in. I'll be off work for several weeks and there will be no school, no drop offs, no schedules, no carpool planning. The kids just want to play at home. I just want to be at home. I want to enjoy these three babies and help them make the lazy summer memories that I have from my childhood. Late June will bring travel and July will bring camp, but at a gentler pace than these last few months. I have so much more to say but finding the time to do anything lately has been hard. I hope that changes over this next month.