Thanks Santa!

We were so excited to see Luke come down the stairs this morning to see the gifts that Santa left under the tree. Here's how it went - he looked at the new toys and scooted over to an old toy in the corner... perfect.

But once he discovered the new loot he had a ball moving from one thing to the next, trying them out. And we Skyped with Chris, Lauren and Andie, who got to watch Luke open their gift.

Keith is just back from a quick trip to the hospital to see a patient (he's on call; can you believe it - a dermatologist had to go in on Christmas Day?!)

Now we're playing with the new stuff and starting to prepare Christmas dinner. It has been a really nice Christmas so far.

Christmas Eve

A great way to spend Christmas Eve day in Utah.

First time on skis

Yesterday was Christmas Eve and we spent the afternoon at Alta.

My Mom & Dad watched Luke in the lodge while Keith and I skied a few runs.

Then Luke took his first-ever run on his own skis!

Our friends Meredith, Ben and Max were there too, so Luke and Max also enjoyed a few runs on Max's "snow boat" (sled). It was a beautiful afternoon at Alta - crisp and sunny with blue skies.

Santa's lap...or not

Pilar invited us to her condo complex Monday night for dinner and to meet Santa. The other (older) kids excitedly sat on his lap, told them their Christmas present wishes, and claimed a candy cane. As you can see from the photo, Luke clung to me and cried. I think Santa was offended.

Luckily, our friend Erin, whose 4 1/2 year old was one of the really excited kids and whose same-age-as-Luke daughter did fine on the old guy's lap, captured this classic moment for us on film.

Christmas tree

We put up our tree on Friday night and thought Luke would be into it... not so much. I could barely even get him to stand near it to get a photo. He did try to go after a few ornaments, though, which is why they are all placed high on the tree.

Alta

Today we took Luke to Alta for the afternoon. He's a little too small for real skis and boots so we checked a few stores for plastic strap-on skis. Sadly they only had plastic snowboards -- terrible!

So, I ordered some online and Keith gave Luke his first into to skiing by toting him up the rope tow and carrying him down the bunny slope. He loved it and did the sign language sign for "more" over and over each time the got to the bottom.

As soon as the plastic skis arrive we'll get him back up there so he can try on his own!

Beware the tipping mannequin

So, I took Luke with me into a women's clothing store today to look for Christmas gifts. While browsing a rack I felt something fall onto me and turned to find a mannequin, who promptly hit the floor. One of her arms fell off and was stuck in her blouse. It wasn't a shocker to find Luke standing behind the fallen model looking a little surprised.

Before I could even register what had happened, two older sales women were on the scene looking really annoyed (they must have scaled racks to get there so quickly).

I stood the mannequin back up and said "sorry about that... Luke - you can't touch these..." I was a little embarrassed. One of the sales women gave me a dirty look, while the other immediately started tending to the mannequin as though it was a real person who had been plowed over by a truck or punched in the face.

Meanwhile, I picked Luke up and moved him out of the way, feeling surprised that they didn't offer something kind like "is he ok?" or "are you ok?" or a "don't worry about it." No, there was none of that. In fact, at that moment a third sales woman came over and said (sounding concerned) "Is she ok?" SHE WAS REFERRING TO THE MANNEQUIN. I laughed out loud and carried Luke out of the store.

Here was my thought process as we left the store:

1. Do these women not have children / grandchildren?

2. It's not like Luke purposely threw a rock through the front window or puked on the floor or did something else that would have caused them expense or inconvenience. I'm sure worse accidents have been caused by adults in the store.

3. Get a life.

4. I don't like your store anyway.

Snow storm

Lots of snow has fallen on Salt Lake in the last week. We had a pretty big storm on Sunday and I'm pretty sure this is the most snow that I've ever seen on the ground here in the valley (mountains not included).

Here's a video of Luke enjoying the fluffy stuff...

Triumphant in the toddler bed

It appears that my bit of worry about Luke's transition to a toddler bed was unnecessary. He has taken to it pretty well and I must say, I'm shocked.

Nap time on the first day (two days ago) was rough. He wailed for 30 minutes behind his closed door and then fell asleep on the floor beside it. I know this because once it was quiet up there I tried to peek in and couldn't open the door. Then he woke up with carpet impressions on his cheek.

That night we had friends over for dinner so kept him up late anyway, until he was so tired that he went down without a fight and didn't get out of the bed until the next morning. So, not a true test.

Yesterday was day two of the toddler bed challenge and he took to it like a pro! No issue at nap time, though I did give him a bottle of milk to help him drift off. And last night we put him down--still a little late--but without much drama.

So I've been heaping tons of positive reinforcement on him for sleeping in his big boy bed and giving him a treat here and there. It actually feels a little like I'm training a dog or something!

Of course, I'm still worried about him using all of that freedom to climb around in his room (like up on the bookcase near the window, as he did yesterday), or up and over the gate atop the stairs, so I removed chairs and other climb-able objects from his room and the hallway as a preventative measure.

Obviously we're very proud of the little guy. Moving from a crib to a toddler bed is a pretty big step in the brief life of an 18-month old, and he's handling it like a champ.

The Great Escape

So far, each Thanksgiving has brought a new first for Luke: last year he ate his first solid food (squash), and this year he learned how to get out of his crib. I liked last year's better.

Actually, The Great Escape, as we've been calling it, first took place in his pack-n-play while we were at Kim & Declan's. The adults were sitting in the living room on Thanksgiving night, assuming that Luke was asleep downstairs. Brigitte got quite a surprise when she went to the top of the stairs just to listen, when she saw him climbing up the stairs, looking determined and triumphant. We were all quite shocked, though agreed that it's a wonder the little climber didn't pull it off sooner.

So for the next two days of naps and bedtimes I had to lie with him on the bed while he fell asleep, then transport him to the pack-n-play once he was out cold.

Fast forward to last night when we returned from Virginia and put the sleepy child in his real crib back home. I figured it would be a little more difficult for him to pull off The Escape here, since the crib sides are higher than the pack-n-play ones. Keith knew it would be no problem now that he had the technique down.

Around midnight Keith and I were lying in bed and heard Luke stirring on the monitor. I must admit that was waiting nervously to hear a crash, yet hoping he'd be too tired to attempt The Escape. But sure enough, it only took a few minutes until we heard him hit the floor upstairs. No crying, though, which was a good sign. We jumped out of bed and found him standing calmly at the gate on top of the stairs waiting for us. He spent the rest of the night in our bed.

Obviously scaling the walls of the crib is now child's play for him, so we've decided that rather than waiting nervously for the crash each night, we'll install the toddler bed attachment for his crib and acclimate him to sleeping in an almost big-boy bed. I anticipate many nights of going up there to put him back in it, and waking up to a room littered with books and toys, but it's just another stage in his quest for independence.

Oh, and here's how it's done... the first step anyway:

Washington, DC

We had a very smooth trip to Washington, DC to spend Thanksgiving with the Duffys and Lawlors. Yesterday afternoon we walked around one end of the Mall, visiting the Vietnam Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial.

Luke was especially excited about the airplanes flying overhead after taking off from the airport nearby. Since it was the busiest flying day of the year, he got to see one about every 30 seconds and excitedly pointed up and shouted each time.

Today we're preparing Thanksgiving dinner and awaiting the arrival of Bill, Jeanne and William.

Copycat

Over the past few days Luke has started mimicking, or repeating a few words and sounds. He doesn't even have very many words that he uses on a regular basis, so it was a bit shocking the first few times it happened.

For example:

1. When I lock the car door it makes three quick beeps. After I locked it, Luke said --in his tiny voice-- "beep, beep, beep."

2. Sometimes when Luke does something silly I call him, cuckoo or--the long version, cuck-a-munga. After calling him cuckoo yesterday, he smiled at me and said, with perfect clarity "cuckoo."

3. I've started trying to teach him manners, so when he wants something I say "can you say please?" And he repeats "Pea" It is very cute and I'm happy that he's catching on to this manners thing so far.

So anyway, the time has come that we really need to watch what we're saying, especially in moments of frustration. Like when he slammed a glass on the tile floor the other day and I yelled "SHIT!" ...then immediately realized that I need to stop using bad words before shit becomes one of the 10 words in his 17-month old vocabulary.

Snow!

Last night it snowed several inches in Salt Lake and over a foot at Alta, where it really matters.

Remember when we hiked up there, just a month ago, and there wasn't a speck of snow around? Well, now they have 94 inches. Not bad for opening weekend.

So, needless to say, Keith excitedly headed up there this morning to ski with his pack of Alta regulars, while Luke and I stayed closer to home.

We went to the JCC, where Luke is a new fan of the daycare--as soon as we get in the building, he runs down the hall to the daycare room... and doesn't cry or try to follow me when I leave. That's a new and wonderful thing.

Then we shoveled the driveway and played in the snow a bit. He didn't love it. I suppose that's because he kept falling and getting stuck. And he really didn't like getting his mittens snowy--he'd just look at his hands, look at me, and pout. It was pretty heavy snow, by Utah standards, so maybe he'll prefer the lighter stuff, which we're sure to get soon enough. And we'll keep trying--and pick up some sleds--because he'll certainly be spending a fair amount of time in the snow!

Birthdays and Thanksgiving

We know lots of people with a November 20th birthday... our favorites being Luke's cousin William, Grandpa Duffy and my dear friend Meg.

We're looking forward to wishing William and Grandpa happy birthday in person next week when we see them --and the whole Duffy family!-- for Thanksgiving in Virginia. Luke will LOVE watching and playing with his four older cousins.

I can't say that we're excited about Thanksgiving week travel, especially with a toddler who wants to move, climb and run all the time... but I'm prepared for the worst so it can't be too bad, right? :-)

They start young these days

He will probably be surfing online by age two.

First stitches

17 months, 2 days old and Luke has his first stitches.

Last night he was standing on his little kid chair at the counter helping me make dinner--as he does on many nights--when he slipped off the back and hit the bottom of his chin on the chair seat. I was standing about 6 inches away from him, yet couldn't catch him in time.

Keith had just walked in the door from work and thank goodness for that because four hands were needed.

I held pressure to Luke's bleeding chin, but the sight of the inch-long cut and the blood, mixed with the fact that I was upset seeing Luke hurt brought on a familiar reaction of extreme dizziness, hot sweats and nausea. I've had this type of vasovagal response before, once when having blood drawn, and all I can do is sit with my head between my knees for a few moments to snap out of it. So, Keith took over while I got my act together.

The good thing about having an in-house dermatologist is that you don't have to wait in the ER for someone who probably doesn't specialize in skin to sew up your child's wound. Since Keith didn't want to traumatize Luke further by being the guy with the needle, he tracked down one of the other derm surgeons--who is also our friend Payam--and we met her at the hospital right away, let ourselves into the closed derm clinic, and got to work on Luke right away.

We wrapped him in blankets to keep his limbs from flailing and I held his head. Getting the anesthetic was the worst part and after that he more or less held still for the stitching. He was a brave little guy. And since we had a skilled Mohs surgeon on the case, I'm sure it will heal nicely. The funny part is, I think any doctor is a little nervous working on the child of their colleague. As Payam was finishing up she said "what do you think Keith? I hope it comes out ok. I think this is the first time I've worked on an infant...wait..." (thinking) "...yup, it's the first time."

At that point we discovered that it was Payam's birthday and she'd left her own birthday dinner with family to help us out. We owe her one!

We were home less than an hour after the fall and Luke was in good spirits, likely because his chin was still numb and he was enjoying ice cream. This morning he is feeling the discomfort a bit more and trying to pull the bandage off his chin, but hopefully baby tylenol and lots of milk will settle him down. I think it's working already.

I guess this isn't a surprise since infant chin injuries run in my family. Both my brother and I cut our chins when we were a little older than Luke - mine was caused by falling off a radiator and Chris owes his to a tricycle called Ollie.

Of course now I'm watching Luke like a hawk, like I did when he first started walking. Security has been stepped up. Surely there will be more injuries in our future, and this one wasn't too bad, but it sure was upsetting for a first time Mom.

Well, I have to run... the little guy is already trying to climb on a table.

Family

We traveled to Connecticut late last week for my Grandma Bet's funeral. Though it was sad to bid her farewell, it was a lovely ceremony and so nice to see all of my Mom's side of the family. Keith wrapped up the funeral ceremony by playing Amazing Grace on the bagpipes; I'm sure Grandma Bet loved it.

Luke and Andie behaved very well in the church and had a great time running around at the reception.

We stayed with my cousin Margaret and her three kids did a great job entertaining Luke. And went to a UConn Women's basketball game, which was a lot of fun.

Finally, we had our entire immediate family together, which hasn't happened in over a year. Some how we managed to get a photo with all of us looking at the camera (thanks Auntie Carol!)

Grandma Bet

My dear Grandma Bet (Elizabeth Halloran) passed away yesterday. She was 96 years old.

She was a terrific lady who was very proud of her Irish heritage and loved telling old stories, for which she had a great memory!

We will attend her funeral this Friday, which should be a wonderful celebration of her long, full life.

I will really miss her.

Toque hater

As mentioned in my last post, Luke dislikes wearing hats (or toques, as Canadians call them). But this morning we went for a walk and since it was cold, we tricked him into wearing one by putting the mittens on first, giving him a bagel, strapping him into the stroller, then sneaking the toque on his head.

Doesn't he look annoyed? Heehee.

Happy Halloween

For Luke's second Halloween we carved a jack-o-lantern and he was actually less excited than we thought he'd be. I envisioned him cackling as he reached into the pumpkin and grabbed fistfuls of the seeds and pulp... instead, he was trying to put the stuff back IN the pumpkin as Keith scooped it out!

What he seems most excited about is taking the candy out of the bowl piece by piece, and hiding it in different places around the house. As we speak the first trick-or-treaters just arrived at the door and Luke seemed amused/ confused.

He hasn't tried any Halloween candy yet (he's eating toast in the first photo), but maybe we'll let him have a bite of something. It's rainy and the Utes are on (football) so we may stay home and greet trick-or-treaters rather than going out. We were a little lazy about his costume... as you can see, he's wearing his skeleton pjs, but I think it looks pretty spooky. And there's no way the kiddo who hates wearing a hat would keep a real costume on him anyway.

By next year he'll (we'll) probably be Halloween pros.

3 Duffys... +1

As most of you already know, we are excitedly expecting our second baby in late March.

I'll be 19 weeks along on Sunday and am feeling great.

Last week we had the first ultrasound and loved seeing the little one moving around; here are a few snapshots. The two on the bottom show the baby's profile, which we think looks a lot like Luke did.

Oh, and I know that the name 3 Duffys won't make sense once the new baby arrives, so I already have a new blog name picked out and I'll introduce it in the Spring... when there are no longer just 3 Duffys in this household.

First snow

This morning we awoke to about 3 inches of snow on the ground. We're still finishing up some projects in the back yard and haven't put the furniture, etc. inside yet, so needless to say we weren't quite prepared for it.

But in typical Utah style, the sun is already coming out and melting it away.

Luke had an opportunity to try out his new boots and they don't slow down him down one bit!

Sounds

Like most 17 month olds (I'm guessing), Luke is quite adept at picking up sounds.

Since we read (or, rather, are begged to read) his various animal sound books several times a day, he knows--and shouts out--many of the animal sounds, including those for the horse, crow, owl and sheep. In fact, last evening he wandered around the house saying "baaaaa.... baaaaa" for about a half hour.

In addition to animals, he is also fascinated by the sound that Keith's motorcycle makes. Whenever we go in the garage he says "brrrrrrm... bbrrrrrrrroom" over and over and over. And he does the same thing when he sees a motorcycle on the street, on TV, or in a picture.

Here's a quick peek at him brrrmmm... brrrrmming the other night.

Unfortunately the video is only 12 seconds because apparently our video camera memory card was full. But I can assure you continued the motorcycle sound for quite a while.

Airplanes and helicopters

Luke loves it when airplanes or helicopters fly overhead. He gets very excited, points up to the sky, and watches for whatever it is to pass by.

Here he is sitting on our (newly, finally completed) back steps eating a roll when the University medical helicopter flies by. He is so excited that he stops eating for a minute.

In the fridge

Sometimes it's really difficult to get him out of there. He's pretty strong.

Man of a million faces

This little boy has a prize-winning pout.

But his smile is pretty cute too.

Double Board Certified

Great news! Keith was just notified via email that he passed his derm path boards! Yahoo!

That was the last gut-wrenching exam that he'll have to take for a long, long time.

And now he's officially double board certified in dermatology and dermatopathology.

Mohs surgery doesn't have a board exam (yet), so since he completed a Mohs fellowship he is actually triple specialized.

Sounds fancy, right? Are you wondering what a triple specialized doctor does all day?

Well, today he's sitting at a microscope in his darkened office reading slide after slide containing skin cancer biopsies (which I personally think all look exactly the same), while his elbows get sore and he probably gets a headache. Does it get any better than that?!

Jokes aside, Luke and I are very proud of him and thrilled that the hard core exam studying is over.

Here's the first paragraph of the letter. It went on and on for two pages, but honestly, didn't every exam-taker just get to the "pleased to inform you" part, take a deep sigh of relief and close the letter?

Hockey fan

Oh boy, are we those parents that dress our kid in team jammies to watch a game? In this case, it was Canucks pjs for the game last night. Are the (damn) Yankees back on tonight? If so, we know what Keith will be putting on Luke for bed.

Climber

This is what happens when you turn your attention from Luke for 3.5 seconds.

First tram ride

We took Luke up in the Snowbird tram on Saturday, intending to hike along the peaks between Snowbird and Alta. He loved the tram ride--especially when it swayed going over the support towers. He wanted to stand by himself for part of the ride and kept squatting for balance, which was cute. But when we arrived at the top all he wanted to do was sit on the ground and play with rocks. Big surprise. And though it was chilly at 11,000 feet, he refused to keep his hat on. Another huge surprise.

It was a nice, crisp fall day up on the hill, without a speck of snow in sight. In fact, it's so brown up there that we almost lost Luke in his camo fleece! Seeing all that rock and dirt makes it hard to believe that it will all soon be covered waist-high in snow and ready for skiing. Alta typically likes to open around Thanksgiving, so we'd better get some storms rolling this way!