This last week has been fun. Sunday the 21st was Luc's 2nd birthday and we took him to Chuck E Cheese for the first time. Some how though he was already familiar with Chuck E Cheese and pointed excitedly at the restaurant as we approached it. We assume he saw their tv commercials and recognized Chuck E's cartoon likeness outside the restaurant. Anyway, once inside he quickly got acquainted with all the games and the pizza, which is his favorite food right now. There are some photos of Luc at Chuck E Cheese in the new photo set. A few of them are of Luc walking on the ball ramp which looks unusual but there were no other kids playing at the time.
After Chuck E Cheese we came home and Luc got a much deserved nap. Mom and Dad could have used one too but instead we set up his birthday presents so they would be ready when he awoke. His main toy was a blow up fort that holds dozens of small plastic balls. You can get in (or I should say Luc can get in) and play with the balls. Which he did and then threw all of them out on the floor. All 170 of them.
Another present was an electronic drum pad made for kids. Luc enjoys banging on things and we thought this would be a good way to focus that energy. It also has a rhythm machine so he can play along. He seems to get a kick out of playing the drums, dancing to a Samba rhythm, and kicking his 170 plastic balls under the sofa and other places that Daddy can't fit under anymore.
Thursday was Thanksgiving. We had a delicious meal that was a combination Boston Market and Diane. We got the Chicken and some sides from Boston Market (because it's so good and so much easier) and Diane made pecan pie, potato casserole and stuffing (because they're so good). It was a delicious meal and Luc even tried little bits of everything.
On Friday we braved the crowds and ventured out to the mall. Daddy and Luc spent a fair amount of time at Barnes and Noble while Mommy shopped for Christmas presents. The kids section of our B&N is pretty good. It has a wooden train set which Luc enjoyed for a long time. He also enjoyed spinning the globes and spinning the book displays that rotated. And walked up and down the steps to the Starbucks more than once. It's really amazing how much there is to do in a bookstore.
Saturday Daddy worked some OT and Mommy and Luc had the morning together and decided to venture downtown. Of course, this is nothing new for Mommy but it was Luc's first trolly ride and first subway ride. Apparently he liked the trolly better and would not get on the first subway that came along. Diane was patient and got him to ride the next one and kept him calm all the way into Center City. Once downtown Luc was at home in the crowds and very happy to sit and eat his Auntie Anne's pretzel and people watch and window shop.
So it has been fun week where we got to spend 6 out of 9 days together, all day. That's unusual. Christmas will be like that too. During these extended times together I can really see just how much Luc is developing. Just one year ago he couldn't walk and could speak just a few words. Now he walks, runs, dances, jumps, climbs stairs and can put together short sentences like "More Daddy sit".
And in addition to his strides with walking and talking he is also blossoming into a very happy child. He laughs more than ever, enjoys being tickled, loves to group dance with Mommy and Daddy, and seems most content when all three of us are just sitting together on the sofa or bed watching a movie or cartoon. For me, at this 2 year marker, it is a sign that we are doing something right. We are novices at this baby-rearing thing so seeing him blossom into such a beautiful, happy person is the best reward.
Enjoy the photo set.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Cute
On Tuesday of last week we brought Luc to his new day care. Its actually the same operation as before but a different building. Previously he was in the building for kids under 2 and now he's moved into the 2 and 3 year-old's building. Of course he won't really be 2 until November but they wanted to move him now because his two friends are moving now.
The transition was relatively smooth though he did cry a little when I left him on the first day. I was told that didn't last long and by the end of the week he seemed to be completely comfortable. Since he's moved we've noticed at least two things: 1) his appetite has increased and 2) he's louder. And believe me, a hungry and loud child is hard to miss. Anyway, we attribute these changes to his increased activity and increased vocalization with the older kids. In the old place many of the kids were babies who slept or laid in cribs a good part of the day. Now he's running and screaming with the big kids!
We also noticed something kind of funny last week. Apparently someone at the day care pinched his cheek and said "cute" to him. We assume that's what happened anyway because he came home that day and climbed up on his mommy's lap and pinched her on the cheek and said "cute!" Then he did the same thing to daddy. It was, needless to say, cute.
The weekend before the move to the new day care was spent visiting Margo and Chuck in Erie, PA. We were concerned about the long 8-hour drive but Luc did well, especially for the first 6 or 7 hours. It was only in the last 1 or so that he started to get fidgety. Normally he is able to sleep well in the car but this was a looong ride. Anyway, we arrived late Friday around 11pm and Margo welcomed us, got us situated and got herself reacquainted with Luc whom she had not seen since he was still crawling.
Over the next couple days we were able to bring Luc to a pet shop to look at puppies and fish, a petting zoo at the local German festival to see geese and other small farm animals as well as a pier down near the lake to see the seagulls. Many of these experiences were photographed and are in the new Picasa photo set (Summer 2010) accessed on the right. As you can tell there was an animal theme to our visit. We have noticed that Luc has a strong affection for animals, especially birds. When we bring him to a park and there are pigeons he loves to chase after them.
Luc also enjoyed running around the Hotalings large back yard. And he got to see some of the many birds that gather around Chuck's bird houses. Plus we tossed around a regulation football which was so large it was practically the size of Luc's torso! And no weekend is complete without at least a few episodes of Barney viewing too. Overall it was a great visit for Luc and for mommy and daddy who also got to enjoy some local wines and chocolates as well as Chuck's delicious BBQ cooking.
When we got back to Philly I videotaped some footage of Luc attempting to draw with crayons as well as dancing to music on the TV. I made a little movie of it and it can be accessed by clicking the link below. For those of you who haven't seen Luc in awhile you will be surprised how "grown up" the little guy has become. And I think he may have a future in dancing too!
Click Here For Video
The transition was relatively smooth though he did cry a little when I left him on the first day. I was told that didn't last long and by the end of the week he seemed to be completely comfortable. Since he's moved we've noticed at least two things: 1) his appetite has increased and 2) he's louder. And believe me, a hungry and loud child is hard to miss. Anyway, we attribute these changes to his increased activity and increased vocalization with the older kids. In the old place many of the kids were babies who slept or laid in cribs a good part of the day. Now he's running and screaming with the big kids!
We also noticed something kind of funny last week. Apparently someone at the day care pinched his cheek and said "cute" to him. We assume that's what happened anyway because he came home that day and climbed up on his mommy's lap and pinched her on the cheek and said "cute!" Then he did the same thing to daddy. It was, needless to say, cute.
The weekend before the move to the new day care was spent visiting Margo and Chuck in Erie, PA. We were concerned about the long 8-hour drive but Luc did well, especially for the first 6 or 7 hours. It was only in the last 1 or so that he started to get fidgety. Normally he is able to sleep well in the car but this was a looong ride. Anyway, we arrived late Friday around 11pm and Margo welcomed us, got us situated and got herself reacquainted with Luc whom she had not seen since he was still crawling.
Over the next couple days we were able to bring Luc to a pet shop to look at puppies and fish, a petting zoo at the local German festival to see geese and other small farm animals as well as a pier down near the lake to see the seagulls. Many of these experiences were photographed and are in the new Picasa photo set (Summer 2010) accessed on the right. As you can tell there was an animal theme to our visit. We have noticed that Luc has a strong affection for animals, especially birds. When we bring him to a park and there are pigeons he loves to chase after them.
Luc also enjoyed running around the Hotalings large back yard. And he got to see some of the many birds that gather around Chuck's bird houses. Plus we tossed around a regulation football which was so large it was practically the size of Luc's torso! And no weekend is complete without at least a few episodes of Barney viewing too. Overall it was a great visit for Luc and for mommy and daddy who also got to enjoy some local wines and chocolates as well as Chuck's delicious BBQ cooking.
When we got back to Philly I videotaped some footage of Luc attempting to draw with crayons as well as dancing to music on the TV. I made a little movie of it and it can be accessed by clicking the link below. For those of you who haven't seen Luc in awhile you will be surprised how "grown up" the little guy has become. And I think he may have a future in dancing too!
Click Here For Video
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
The word "oval"
Luc enjoys watching the video series Sparkabilities and a few weeks back we got the latest episode which included a segment about shapes. Luc already knew some basic shapes (square, circle, triangle) but now he was introduced to rectangle, star and oval. For some reason, "oval" made a big impression on him and now it has become his favorite word. He points at everything and anything and says "oval" and then looks to us to see if he got it right. In the beginning we tried to be accurate and if he was pointing at, for example, a tree and said oval we would correct him. But over time he wore us out and now if he points at a tree and says oval we just smile and say "yes, oval" and move on. Probably not great parenting but he seems to enjoy the satisfaction of having found another oval. But really I think he just likes saying the word oval more than anything else. And the way he says it is kind of funny. He emphasizes the second syllable and slightly mispronounces it so it sounds like "oh, FULL" which is kind of amusing.
Another "Lucism" is his love for holding onto utensils. He can walk around, literally, for hours holding onto a plastic spoon or fork. And forget about trying to pull it away from him, you'll regret it. So sometimes in the morning if grabs a hold of one just before we head out the door for the day care I will let him bring it along. Likewise if we pick him up in the afternoon and he has one of the daycare's spoons (or other toys) he is allowed to bring it home and then we return it the next day. As a consequence the line between our toys and their toys has blurred somewhat. But what hasn't blurred is Luc's focus on which are his favorite toys or utensils. For example, this morning I brought him into the daycare and normally he reaches up to Meghan immediately so she will pick him up. But this morning he scooted by her and ran full speed to the other side of the room and reached down to pick up a long wooden spoon. He turned around and looked back at us with the biggest grin, then waved the spoon in the air and said "Oval!" We just smiled back.
Last month we brought Luc in for his 18 month check up and shots. During these check ups they always measure him 3 ways: weight, length, and head size. Then they compare his growth to his previous visits and also to national averages. As you may recall Luc was born big (9.5 lbs) and as a consequence was in the highest percentiles for all 3 categories. But as time went on his size "normalized" and so from his 6 month check up on he has been about average size.... except for one area: head size. His head size is, and has been, in the 95th percentile! We are hoping this is because his brain is so big because he is so smart-- I think Einstein's head was over-sized too :)
Anyway, that's it for today. Next time I will have photos, I promise. We have been busy redoing the downstairs of our house so I will have photos of that and Luc (and his giant head) at my next posting :)
Another "Lucism" is his love for holding onto utensils. He can walk around, literally, for hours holding onto a plastic spoon or fork. And forget about trying to pull it away from him, you'll regret it. So sometimes in the morning if grabs a hold of one just before we head out the door for the day care I will let him bring it along. Likewise if we pick him up in the afternoon and he has one of the daycare's spoons (or other toys) he is allowed to bring it home and then we return it the next day. As a consequence the line between our toys and their toys has blurred somewhat. But what hasn't blurred is Luc's focus on which are his favorite toys or utensils. For example, this morning I brought him into the daycare and normally he reaches up to Meghan immediately so she will pick him up. But this morning he scooted by her and ran full speed to the other side of the room and reached down to pick up a long wooden spoon. He turned around and looked back at us with the biggest grin, then waved the spoon in the air and said "Oval!" We just smiled back.
Last month we brought Luc in for his 18 month check up and shots. During these check ups they always measure him 3 ways: weight, length, and head size. Then they compare his growth to his previous visits and also to national averages. As you may recall Luc was born big (9.5 lbs) and as a consequence was in the highest percentiles for all 3 categories. But as time went on his size "normalized" and so from his 6 month check up on he has been about average size.... except for one area: head size. His head size is, and has been, in the 95th percentile! We are hoping this is because his brain is so big because he is so smart-- I think Einstein's head was over-sized too :)
Anyway, that's it for today. Next time I will have photos, I promise. We have been busy redoing the downstairs of our house so I will have photos of that and Luc (and his giant head) at my next posting :)
Monday, May 31, 2010
Car Sounds
Today I taught Luc about car sounds. These are the sounds every kid should make when pushing a toy car around the house. Heretofore he has been pushing around a variety of toy trucks and cars but without any sound -- so I showed him. To me making car sounds was always half the fun of playing with cars so it was a no-brainer sharing that experience. I started up his green pick-up truck with a roar, then I started making all kinds of sounds: the different tones for shifting gears, the screeching around a corner sound and, of course, the squealing brakes sound -- each of which was well received with laughter and wonder. What were these weird sounds, he must have thought. But then no sooner was he making them too, maybe not so much because they made the play driving experience more authentic but more because they were something Daddy did.
These are those kinds of times -- times when Luc is a vacuum cleaner with information, picking up on everything he sees. He is a quick study too, learning what will get him a "good boy" and what will get him a "bad boy" label right away. And, fortunately, he seems to prefer the former, though on occasion he does test the rules. But even then it seems like he is more curious about our boundaries then he is trying to break them. For example, he is only allowed to touch some things in the kitchen (like the fridge) but not other things (like the oven). So when in the kitchen the first thing he will do is walk around holding his hand near various stuff and looking over to us to see if it is ok. He'll walk around put his hand near a half dozen things, even obscure stuff, like the leg of a table off in the corner that he really has no interest in touching, he just wants to know in theory if it is a good or bad thing to do.
---
• A couple weeks ago Luc moved to a new day care building. The day care he has been going to expanded and now they have a new building that is just for kids under 2. Luc is in that building now and is the second oldest child there. This seems to be a good experience for him as he seems to like being one of the "big kids". Plus he gets to spend all day with Meghan (his favorite person there). When I drop him off in the morning he reaches out with his open arms for Meghan which is something he rarely does for anyone other than Diane or I.
• New words in the Luc vocabularly: "up" (which actually means "open"), "all gone" (which can mean "all gone" or "I don't want anymore"), "byes" (an inexplicable plural version of "bye"), "again" and "wow". Add this to his existing vocabulary of "there", "Dada" and "Mama", "bye" and the fact that he understands more then he can say and we now actually have the ability to communicate. This morning, for example, he gave me a cookie and I said "are you a good boy?" and when he shook his head "yes" he looked so earnestly at me it was as if he said "you know, I guess I really am a good boy".
• Luc likes music (always has) and when a singer is performing on TV he will often stop whatever he is doing, stand and then watch until the song is over. This is especially true of American Idol. Today, however, Robert Plant (ex Led Zeppelin) was performing some rocking numbers and it really captured his attention. In fact, he jumped up on the sofa and begin dancing around and waving his arms almost like he was playing air guitar. This was a bit of a surprise, usually kids are in high school before they get the heavy metal bug but Luc seems to have acquired the taste at 18 months.
That's all for now. Hope you had a great Memorial Day Weekend!
These are those kinds of times -- times when Luc is a vacuum cleaner with information, picking up on everything he sees. He is a quick study too, learning what will get him a "good boy" and what will get him a "bad boy" label right away. And, fortunately, he seems to prefer the former, though on occasion he does test the rules. But even then it seems like he is more curious about our boundaries then he is trying to break them. For example, he is only allowed to touch some things in the kitchen (like the fridge) but not other things (like the oven). So when in the kitchen the first thing he will do is walk around holding his hand near various stuff and looking over to us to see if it is ok. He'll walk around put his hand near a half dozen things, even obscure stuff, like the leg of a table off in the corner that he really has no interest in touching, he just wants to know in theory if it is a good or bad thing to do.
---
• A couple weeks ago Luc moved to a new day care building. The day care he has been going to expanded and now they have a new building that is just for kids under 2. Luc is in that building now and is the second oldest child there. This seems to be a good experience for him as he seems to like being one of the "big kids". Plus he gets to spend all day with Meghan (his favorite person there). When I drop him off in the morning he reaches out with his open arms for Meghan which is something he rarely does for anyone other than Diane or I.
• New words in the Luc vocabularly: "up" (which actually means "open"), "all gone" (which can mean "all gone" or "I don't want anymore"), "byes" (an inexplicable plural version of "bye"), "again" and "wow". Add this to his existing vocabulary of "there", "Dada" and "Mama", "bye" and the fact that he understands more then he can say and we now actually have the ability to communicate. This morning, for example, he gave me a cookie and I said "are you a good boy?" and when he shook his head "yes" he looked so earnestly at me it was as if he said "you know, I guess I really am a good boy".
• Luc likes music (always has) and when a singer is performing on TV he will often stop whatever he is doing, stand and then watch until the song is over. This is especially true of American Idol. Today, however, Robert Plant (ex Led Zeppelin) was performing some rocking numbers and it really captured his attention. In fact, he jumped up on the sofa and begin dancing around and waving his arms almost like he was playing air guitar. This was a bit of a surprise, usually kids are in high school before they get the heavy metal bug but Luc seems to have acquired the taste at 18 months.
That's all for now. Hope you had a great Memorial Day Weekend!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Easter
We were fortunate this year to have picture perfect weather for Easter and took the opportunity to take Luc to Fairmount Park so he could run around and play with his little basketball. The trees were blossoming, the sky was blue and the temperature was 75 degrees. It was gorgeous! You'll see in the video we made just how nice it was.
You'll also see what a good walker Luc is becoming. He has been walking regularly now for about 2 months and only falls on uneven terrain. He's also increased his vocabulary to include the words "hi", 'bye" and "there" which he uses to endear himself to friends and strangers alike.
One thing Luc does now that is kind of amusing is he greets me by patting his chest and then waving his hand in front of his mouth and making this kind of "hiya, hiya" chant sound. We started doing this at home and now he does it when I pick him up at the day care. Of course the other kids have observed this and have started doing the same thing. So now when I walk in to the day care I have a chorus of a half dozen toddlers standing at attention, patting their chests, and going "hiya, hiya". Then from that pack Luc emerges and runs to his daddy :)
In addition to the new video I have some new pictures to post too. Please let me know if you are unable to access the pictures or video as I can offer alternative places for viewing. Some of you know Diane and I both have Facebook accounts and we sometimes post these pictures and videos there too.
Anyway, that's it for now. Enjoy the video and if you are having the kind of glorious spring weather we are having here, enjoy that too :)
You'll also see what a good walker Luc is becoming. He has been walking regularly now for about 2 months and only falls on uneven terrain. He's also increased his vocabulary to include the words "hi", 'bye" and "there" which he uses to endear himself to friends and strangers alike.
One thing Luc does now that is kind of amusing is he greets me by patting his chest and then waving his hand in front of his mouth and making this kind of "hiya, hiya" chant sound. We started doing this at home and now he does it when I pick him up at the day care. Of course the other kids have observed this and have started doing the same thing. So now when I walk in to the day care I have a chorus of a half dozen toddlers standing at attention, patting their chests, and going "hiya, hiya". Then from that pack Luc emerges and runs to his daddy :)
In addition to the new video I have some new pictures to post too. Please let me know if you are unable to access the pictures or video as I can offer alternative places for viewing. Some of you know Diane and I both have Facebook accounts and we sometimes post these pictures and videos there too.
Anyway, that's it for now. Enjoy the video and if you are having the kind of glorious spring weather we are having here, enjoy that too :)
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Luc Starts Walking
It finally happened, Luc started walking! He had been walking with assistance for a month or so but on Tuesday he just burst out on his own. And like his previous milestones, this one was met with an abundance of joy. You can see it in his face, he exudes it with laughter and shouts.
Fortunately we had our camcorder on hand to record some of these first walks. I've made a short video with a sampling. And I have a handful of new pictures, including one with Luc in his new snowsuit. We've had 66 inches of snow this year, by the way.
Actually all that snow has been a bit of a blessing, as it has forced snow days on Diane and I most of this past week. All that extra time at home with him has been good bonding time and possibly contributed to this being the week that he was able to walk on his own because we got to practice walking a lot :)
Later this week Luc will turn 15 months old and I guess pretty soon we need to make the switch from referring to his age in months to years. Anyway, enjoy the video and photos.
Fortunately we had our camcorder on hand to record some of these first walks. I've made a short video with a sampling. And I have a handful of new pictures, including one with Luc in his new snowsuit. We've had 66 inches of snow this year, by the way.
Actually all that snow has been a bit of a blessing, as it has forced snow days on Diane and I most of this past week. All that extra time at home with him has been good bonding time and possibly contributed to this being the week that he was able to walk on his own because we got to practice walking a lot :)
Later this week Luc will turn 15 months old and I guess pretty soon we need to make the switch from referring to his age in months to years. Anyway, enjoy the video and photos.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Luc at 14 months
First I should apologize for how long it has been since my post. The holidays and other obligations have kept us pretty busy the last month or so. So, sorry about that but the good news is I'm back and I have photos and a video!
Believe it or not, in a few days Luc will turn 14 months old. It probably goes without saying that this is going fast. Was it just last year he was still a baby that had to be carried everywhere and only drank formula. Now he is beyond crawling and sort of walking (with assistance) and he's eating solid baby food and some adult foods (like bread). He's also got a few words in his vocabulary and can even string them together to for pseudo-sentences. So yes, he is growing up fast.
Last month was Luc's second Christmas but the first one didn't really count since he was only a month old. Though at 13 months he still wasn't really aware of what all was going on. He did get some nice gifts from friends and family and Santa too. One of his favorites was a 3 story parking garage with an elevator and cars. He enjoys dropping the cars down the elevator shaft so they pile up at the bottom and then he crushes them with the elevator itself! Oh and Diane and I both want to express a very warm thank you to each of you for your very kind and thoughtful gifts... they are all most appreciated!
December also brought about Luc's first snowfall. We got 23 inches of snow the second Saturday in December and Luc got to go out and check it out. He's favorite part seemed to be when his daddy was shoveling the sidewalk. Every time I would lift up a pile of snow and hurl it into a pile he would start laughing. We think he thought it was funny to see me doing all the work. Some day that will change :)
Physically Luc is really starting to look like a little boy (as opposed to a baby). Of course he has a full set of hair (though he always did) but now he also has 6 teeth and is well on his way to completing the set. We're even brushing his teeth twice a day now (which he does not like too much). He can make it up the stairs with assistance and he can use a spoon to feed himself Cheerios (which he loves). You'll see in the video and photos how "mature" he is getting.
And speaking of the video... this is just a short clip I took this afternoon of him playing with the aforementioned parking garage. If you have your volume turned on you will hear him say "Uh Oh, Bob" which is an example of how he starting to string words together. It used to be that he just said "Uh Oh" or "Bob" or ("Dada" or "Mamma"). He's so advanced :) Enjoy!
Believe it or not, in a few days Luc will turn 14 months old. It probably goes without saying that this is going fast. Was it just last year he was still a baby that had to be carried everywhere and only drank formula. Now he is beyond crawling and sort of walking (with assistance) and he's eating solid baby food and some adult foods (like bread). He's also got a few words in his vocabulary and can even string them together to for pseudo-sentences. So yes, he is growing up fast.
Last month was Luc's second Christmas but the first one didn't really count since he was only a month old. Though at 13 months he still wasn't really aware of what all was going on. He did get some nice gifts from friends and family and Santa too. One of his favorites was a 3 story parking garage with an elevator and cars. He enjoys dropping the cars down the elevator shaft so they pile up at the bottom and then he crushes them with the elevator itself! Oh and Diane and I both want to express a very warm thank you to each of you for your very kind and thoughtful gifts... they are all most appreciated!
December also brought about Luc's first snowfall. We got 23 inches of snow the second Saturday in December and Luc got to go out and check it out. He's favorite part seemed to be when his daddy was shoveling the sidewalk. Every time I would lift up a pile of snow and hurl it into a pile he would start laughing. We think he thought it was funny to see me doing all the work. Some day that will change :)
Physically Luc is really starting to look like a little boy (as opposed to a baby). Of course he has a full set of hair (though he always did) but now he also has 6 teeth and is well on his way to completing the set. We're even brushing his teeth twice a day now (which he does not like too much). He can make it up the stairs with assistance and he can use a spoon to feed himself Cheerios (which he loves). You'll see in the video and photos how "mature" he is getting.
And speaking of the video... this is just a short clip I took this afternoon of him playing with the aforementioned parking garage. If you have your volume turned on you will hear him say "Uh Oh, Bob" which is an example of how he starting to string words together. It used to be that he just said "Uh Oh" or "Bob" or ("Dada" or "Mamma"). He's so advanced :) Enjoy!
 |
| Christmas 2010 |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
