Case closed!

Do you remember the case of the missing keys?

Well, I found them.

They were in a basket full of magazines, directly to the left of the TV stand. Of course I looked there (a few times, in fact) but they must have been stuck inside one of the magazines.

Isn't that always the way -- the thing you're looking for is right in front of you.

So, after previously disassembling the locks to make the stand functional without keys, Keith re-installed the locks. Now we have one key hanging on a hook in back of the TV out of Luke's reach, and the back up key hidden somewhere else...I just realized that Keith didn't tell me where it is; probably on purpose.

So, that case is closed. But we're still in search of Keith's favorite boxers and that can of Alaskan salmon. Good luck that thing has an expiration date of never.

Morning

Luke is up and ready to start his day at 7 am, but on most days, he first wakes up at 6 and cries until I go up to fetch him, bottle of milk in hand. After (or while) drinking the milk he falls back asleep in bed with Keith and me for another hour, which is great. The only problem is, lately he likes to catch that extra hour lying directly on top of me and/or while pushing me uncomfortably close to the side of the bed. Like this:

But, he's so cute and snuggly at this time of the day, so how can I kick him out? And here he is a few moments after his 7 am wake up. This was right before he scampered into the kitchen, grabbed a box of cereal and brought it back to us in bed, demanding breakfast.

uh-oh

I mentioned a few days ago that one of Luke's most-used words is "uh-oh". And he uses it all the time, for all kinds of reasons.

Here's a peek at him doing a few of his favorite things - saying uh-oh, gulping water and giving kisses.

Happy camper

A neighbor have us a toy tent, which Luke has been enjoying in the backyard.

He goes in and out, in and out... tripping on the way out every time.

15-month check up

Luke had his 15-month well-baby visit today (a week late), so he met his new pediatrician. She's a nice lady named Dr. Martini, which I think is a great name in a Mormon state.

Since the Peds clinic is conveniently located across the hall from the Derm clinic, Keith was able to join us too.

He is 22 lbs 3 oz and 29 inches, which is about 45th percentile for height and a little less than that for weight.

He was a hit with the nurses, especially when, after being weighed, he ran down the hall naked and laughing.

Unfortunately he needed four shots, including a seasonal flu shot. He didn't love that part.

But that wasn't the worst.

Since our house was built before 1950, the doctor recommended a blood test to screen for lead. Apparently, even if kids don't chew window sills, remnants from lead paint can be in dust and in the dirt around the foundation.

So, off we headed to the lab for a blood draw. Despite my holding him down, Luke was still moving, and I think the flebotamist may have missed or gone through the vein, so--long story short, it took FOREVER, both arms, and a lot of screaming before they had the needed vial of blood.

Luke must have terrified everyone in the waiting room!

He looked like a wounded warrior leaving the hospital, with four super heroes band aids on his legs and bandages one each arm. I tried to snap a photo but he pulled everything off before I had the chance.

I think he was worn out from the crying and may be wasn't feeling 100% after the shots, because he fell asleep on my lap at 6:30 pm, which is very unusual.

So, another day without a photo or video to post but I'll try to capture something tomorrow.

Words

I just realized that I haven't mentioned that Luke has a few words that he now uses regularly, in order of use:

1. Mommy (or Mommeeeeee!)

2. Uh-oh - he uses this when something wrong happens, but also sometimes uses it for no apparent reason.

3. Cacky - means cookie or cracker. It's all the same to him

4. Nanna - banana, obviously

5. Weeeee - typically used as an exclamation when he likes something

6. Baa - ball

7. Bubaee - blueberry... I've also heard him use it when referencing my Blackberry

And for the non verbal -

1. Surprisingly he doesn't say milk, but he brings me his bottle when he wants some

2. He shakes his head No all the time, even when he means yes. We need to work on that one.

And there are lots of other non verbal ones. He is really starting to understand things and to observe what we do. We'd better be careful!

Lucky?

In my old life here in SLC I used to go to spin class at The J (that's our gym) 5 days a week at 6 am. In that old, carefree, hardly-any-responsibilities life that wasn't a big deal at all; just part of my daily routine.

Needless to say, I haven't attended that 6 am class yet since moving back. Actually, I haven't attended a 6 am spin class at the gym since two weeks before Luke was born.

But, last night I decided that I was going to revisit my long lost beloved class today.

I realized that this was risky, given that Luke typically wakes up around 5 and shouts until he gets a bottle of milk and a warm spot between Mom and Dad, at which time he can fall asleep again until 7. But some days he just rolls around and kicks us for that last hour and a half. So, I was worried about Keith having to deal with all of that, while needing to get ready for work. Keith was worried/ annoyed-in-advance as well.

But, I thought I'd take a chance.

So, I was up at 5:30 am, gave Luke a bottle in his crib, and headed off to The J.

I really enjoyed the class, probably more than ever since it's not so easy to get there these days.

Then I skipped the post-class stretch and raced home. I told Keith I'd be home by 7:10 am, but since I got stuck at a ridiculously long light on Foothill Drive, I pulled into the driveway at 7:13 am.

I tentatively opened the door, expecting the worse (whatever that might be), and was shocked to find a dark, silent house. Both boys were sound asleep and I laughed to myself because I got lucky. If I try it again next week there's no way we'll have the same

Sesame

Today, for the first time, I put on Sesame Street for Luke while I made dinner. He was really into it, standing 5 inches from the TV, for about 2 minutes. Then he lost interest and affixed himself to my leg, begging to be picked up, which is where he typically is when I'm trying to make dinner. Maybe he's too young to appreciate it. Or maybe he'll never be a TV watcher, which, if true, I suppose would be a plus but also sometimes a minus. A definite minus in situations like tonight when I'm trying to make dinner.

But Sesame is educational, right? I know that I was a big fan as a toddler, and I turned out alright. So I'll keep trying.

Uncle Chris

Luke was lucky enough to spend lots of time with his Uncle Chris (and Cousin Andie) over the last two weeks. Here's a photo of uncle and nephew on Labor Day, our last day in Boston.

Yard help

Luke enjoyed watching Keith mow the lawn this evening, and tried to "help" by sweeping it afterward. Meanwhile, Keith was wondering if next Summer will be too early for Luke to take over yard maintenance. I don't see why not.

Pilar

This is Pilar, the wonderful Peruvian woman who watches Luke twice a week.

She plays with him, sings funny Spanish songs to him, and does all sorts of activities with him that I don't always have the patience or energy to do.

We adore her because:

1. She's great with Luke

2. Luke likes spending time with her

3. She calls me Miss Stephanie, which is cute

4. She does things I hate doing like washing dishes and folding clothes while Luke is sleeping.

We're so happy to have Pilar around!

Good hair days

It must be, like negative 50% humidity in Utah today, because my curly head baby has straight hair. It also suddenly feels like fall here, which is a nice change.

Before & After: Yard

I returned from Boston to a wonderful surprise at home: our yard is done! Below are some before and after photos showing the transformation. I actually don't think the pics (before OR after) quite capture how bad it looked before or how good it looks now, but you'll get the idea. Now we just need to find chairs to go with the floor sample, end-of-season clearance table that we found. For now, I don't mind just sitting on the nice soft grass!