So the other night I cuddled up with Luke after he finished his 2am bottle and was just going to sleep there for a while and then put him in his crib. I'm trying people, I'm trying. But just as I began to rise, the little boy in my arms began laughing in his sleep. Laughing! Like big, smiley laughs! It was so cute that I curled back up with him and went to sleep.
This is big for 2 reasons: First, Luke has cried in his sleep since he was just a couple of days old. Matt and I would stare down at our sweet little boy with his scrunched up face and watch him whimper and eventually cry out. Mind you, he's dead asleep. At first I would rush to pick him up thinking he was waking up sad, but then as I picked him up he would startle, then see my face and smile like nothing had ever happened. We learned to just rub his tummy or put a hand on his head and he would stop crying and go back to sleep. We would sit and ponder what in the world would make a baby cry? Well, we should have been asking what would make a baby laugh. Seriously, think about this. By the time this crying thing started, little Luke had been forced out of his warm, squishy home toward a tiny hole that smooshed his little head. Then he had to go through the whole birth thing (It was rough. I was there.). Then he had a piece of his manhood trimmed off; granted, he slept through the whole thing. And not long after that he had his first experience with shots, which made both he and mommy cry. Seriously, being a baby is tough.
So the second reason that this is so important is that it said to me that Matt and I are doing a good job! Only a happy baby laughs in his sleep, right? I started thinking about all the things that make the little man happy: cuddling with mom and dad, wearing his warm puppy jammies, taking long walks at the beach, riding in the Baby Bjorn, looking at trees (the kid LOVES trees), listening to the Dave Matthew's song "Crush", daddy getting home from work, eating a full bottle, bath time! These things all happen almost every day. So much fun in his life!
So maybe sleeping with him for a little while longer isn't such a bad thing.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
My First List
Things I Miss About Being Pregnant
1. Old women tilting their heads and smiling at my expanding belly. That happened most often in the grocery store. Maybe they were approving of my cart filled with fruits and veggies.
2. 4am peanut butter sandwiches sans guilt.
3. Free time.
4. Fat was cute.
5. Being able to go to the movies with my husband.
6. Cars waiting for me to cross the street in the parking lot.
Things I Don't Miss About Being Pregnant
1. Luke in my belly and not in my arms.
2. Waddling.
3. Having to stop walking and grab the belly 3 times per block.
4. Being kicked in the bladder.
5. The lack of cookies.
6. Contractions.
1. Old women tilting their heads and smiling at my expanding belly. That happened most often in the grocery store. Maybe they were approving of my cart filled with fruits and veggies.
2. 4am peanut butter sandwiches sans guilt.
3. Free time.
4. Fat was cute.
5. Being able to go to the movies with my husband.
6. Cars waiting for me to cross the street in the parking lot.
Things I Don't Miss About Being Pregnant
1. Luke in my belly and not in my arms.
2. Waddling.
3. Having to stop walking and grab the belly 3 times per block.
4. Being kicked in the bladder.
5. The lack of cookies.
6. Contractions.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Stuff and Things
It's been a long time. Sorry about that. We've actually been pretty busy and yet I have nothing of interest to say. However, Matt took Luke for a "Men's Outing" to Fry's, so I have a little time to share some thoughts. Here's what I've been thinking.
1. I haven't finished a hot beverage since Luke was born. I used to reheat the coffee/tea multiple times, thinking that NOW I would have a chance to drink it. I was wrong. Now I just drink as much as I can in the walk from the kitchen to the living room and count myself lucky for that.
2. How annoying is this: "DJ! DJ! DeeeJayyyy! DJ! Deeeege! (Now higher pitched) DJ! DEEEEJAAAAAY! Come on Deege! DeeeJaay! DeeeeJaaaaaaay!" Did this make you want to come home? Yeah, it doesn't work for the cat my neighbor is calling either. And yet she continues to yell. Here's a thought: Don't let the cat out!
3. Luke is scooting around like a mad man. Right now he's got that "soldier crawl" down. He hasn't figured out how to lift his little bottom off the ground, but his arms and legs are moving in the right direction. I think it might be time to baby proof. Any advice would be appreciated!
4. I watched the movie Lars and the Real Girl last week. So good. If you haven't seen it you should go rent it right now. It's sweet and funny and not the dirty movie you think it is!
5. I put on my wedding ring the other day. Here's the back story: I've been wearing my grandma's ring (that Matt proposed with) since about month 3 of the pregnancy because my fingers had taken on a life of their own. The ring was always too big for me and I was afraid it would fall off, but "Big-Fat-Pregnant-Hands", my pet name for myself, filled out that ring. So my engagement and wedding ring have been sitting in their sweet little box for months and months. I've lost 28 of the 45 preggo pounds, so I thought for sure that the rings would fit again. Well, they don't. I wore my wedding band anyway because I was able to force it on. That was a bad idea. Let's just say that you CAN bruise the part of your finger between your hand and your knuckle. And it took a lot of soap and water to get it off. And I thought for sure we were going to need to go to the hospital and have it cut off. And it's still a little swollen. Lesson learned. 17 lbs to wedding ring.
6. Luke has become my sleeping buddy. It started innocently enough when he woke at 5am and I grabbed him and climbed into the guest room bed where we snuggled and slept a few more hours. Then it was after the 4am feeding. Now his middle of the night meal is 2am and I usually sleep with him from then on. He cuddles into me and looks at me with those sweet eyes and smiles. Sometimes he just stares at me with a smile on his face for a few minutes before falling asleep. Are you kidding me? I could die from the cuteness. But the other night he woke up at 11pm and wouldn't go back to sleep without me. Uh oh. Worrying change of events. I know I have to wean him (and me!) from this habit, but I'm going to give it another month before I begin. He will only be this small and look at me with those love-filled eyes for so long, and I'm going to take advantage of it for as long as I can.
7. Have you tried Pop Chips? You should. They're fantastic!
8. I bought Sprouted Flax at Costco and now need some recipes to add it to. Matt doesn't eat fish and needs his Omega 3s. Any suggestions?
9. Matt and I have been house hunting and it is the most frustrating process. Investors are buying up all the properties we like -- with CASH!--how can we compete with that? And the competition for houses that haven't been purchased by investors is ridiculous. My agent actually said to me the other day, "The next property we're going to see currently has 15 offers on the table, but none of them have been accepted by the bank." I replied, "We're going to skip that one. What else you got?"
I think that might be it. I'll empty the camera and put up some new pics of the little man very soon. Have a great weekend!
1. I haven't finished a hot beverage since Luke was born. I used to reheat the coffee/tea multiple times, thinking that NOW I would have a chance to drink it. I was wrong. Now I just drink as much as I can in the walk from the kitchen to the living room and count myself lucky for that.
2. How annoying is this: "DJ! DJ! DeeeJayyyy! DJ! Deeeege! (Now higher pitched) DJ! DEEEEJAAAAAY! Come on Deege! DeeeJaay! DeeeeJaaaaaaay!" Did this make you want to come home? Yeah, it doesn't work for the cat my neighbor is calling either. And yet she continues to yell. Here's a thought: Don't let the cat out!
3. Luke is scooting around like a mad man. Right now he's got that "soldier crawl" down. He hasn't figured out how to lift his little bottom off the ground, but his arms and legs are moving in the right direction. I think it might be time to baby proof. Any advice would be appreciated!
4. I watched the movie Lars and the Real Girl last week. So good. If you haven't seen it you should go rent it right now. It's sweet and funny and not the dirty movie you think it is!
5. I put on my wedding ring the other day. Here's the back story: I've been wearing my grandma's ring (that Matt proposed with) since about month 3 of the pregnancy because my fingers had taken on a life of their own. The ring was always too big for me and I was afraid it would fall off, but "Big-Fat-Pregnant-Hands", my pet name for myself, filled out that ring. So my engagement and wedding ring have been sitting in their sweet little box for months and months. I've lost 28 of the 45 preggo pounds, so I thought for sure that the rings would fit again. Well, they don't. I wore my wedding band anyway because I was able to force it on. That was a bad idea. Let's just say that you CAN bruise the part of your finger between your hand and your knuckle. And it took a lot of soap and water to get it off. And I thought for sure we were going to need to go to the hospital and have it cut off. And it's still a little swollen. Lesson learned. 17 lbs to wedding ring.
6. Luke has become my sleeping buddy. It started innocently enough when he woke at 5am and I grabbed him and climbed into the guest room bed where we snuggled and slept a few more hours. Then it was after the 4am feeding. Now his middle of the night meal is 2am and I usually sleep with him from then on. He cuddles into me and looks at me with those sweet eyes and smiles. Sometimes he just stares at me with a smile on his face for a few minutes before falling asleep. Are you kidding me? I could die from the cuteness. But the other night he woke up at 11pm and wouldn't go back to sleep without me. Uh oh. Worrying change of events. I know I have to wean him (and me!) from this habit, but I'm going to give it another month before I begin. He will only be this small and look at me with those love-filled eyes for so long, and I'm going to take advantage of it for as long as I can.
7. Have you tried Pop Chips? You should. They're fantastic!
8. I bought Sprouted Flax at Costco and now need some recipes to add it to. Matt doesn't eat fish and needs his Omega 3s. Any suggestions?
9. Matt and I have been house hunting and it is the most frustrating process. Investors are buying up all the properties we like -- with CASH!--how can we compete with that? And the competition for houses that haven't been purchased by investors is ridiculous. My agent actually said to me the other day, "The next property we're going to see currently has 15 offers on the table, but none of them have been accepted by the bank." I replied, "We're going to skip that one. What else you got?"
I think that might be it. I'll empty the camera and put up some new pics of the little man very soon. Have a great weekend!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Happy Anniversary My Love
Two years ago today I had the privilege of marrying my teammate, my best friend and the love of my life. It was a long journey to get to where we are today, but I think it's been a pretty great ride. He is the only person with whom I can imagine sharing the blessing/challenge/joy/insanity of parenthood, and I am greatful for every day we spend together. In honor of this special day I wanted to share some things you may or may not know about my Matt:
He is extremely generous.
He doesn't hold a grudge.
He rarely stinks! The man can skip deoderant and hit the gym and come out smelling like (manly) roses.
He loves a mango.
He doesn't make me promises he can't keep.
He remembers everything and it drives me crazy. (There husband, I said it. Happy Freakin' Anniversary.)
He won me over by following me around my apartment and reading from my roommate's Human Sexuality book about the Grafenburg Spot. (Yes, it's what you think it is.) I had to ask my roommate if he was funny or creepy; she assured me he was funny. She was right.
He really thinks he could fly a helicopter in an emergency.
He is a wonderful daddy.
He was an early talker and one of his first words was "condominium".
He submitted to watching "Dirty Dancing" with me to prove I was special.
He built our home computer. It mostly works.
He has an incredible amount of patience.
He once hit Ian Ziering in the head with a penny.
He knows a lot about space. (Like that the biggest thing in the solar system is Jupiter's magnetosphere. See, I listen.)
He would like a Diet Coke with lemon, please.
He can do the work of at least two people and is rarely appreciated for it.
He can lift really heavy things.
He is insanely good at Guitar Hero.
He sometimes screws the gas tank on so tight that I have to ask strangers to help me get it open.
He folds his t-shirts like they are being displayed at a department store.
He hates Crocs.
He has donuts and McDonald's every year on opening day of the NFL draft. So I have donuts and McDonald's every year on opening day of the NFL draft.
He can't wait for Luke to be old enough to have donuts and McDonald's on opening day of the NFL draft.
He wants to know how everything is made.
He is the only person I know that has a favorite airplane. It is the SR-71 Blackbird, thank you very much.
He taught me that sometimes you have to come out of cover 2 and run a weak-side blitz.
He had insomnia in college and at hour 68 without sleep, a statue of a horse started moving.
He is a loyal friend.
He makes better chicken and pasta than me.
He hates the snow. I mean he REALLY hates the snow.
He has learned to love broccoli. I will take the credit for that one.
He used to have a Nissan Altima and all the hubcaps fell off one by one. Now when he sees one driving he always looks to see if it is missing a hubcap. It usually is.
He wants Luke to be a long snapper in the NFL (because that is the most underrated position and he will always make at least the league minimum).
He hates butternut squash and there is nothing I can do about it.
He knows a little bit about everything and I learn something new everytime we go on a roadtrip.
He always knows how to fix-it after a fight.
He bought me my own DVR so he didn't have to watch...well...any of my shows.
He is very loved.
He is extremely generous.
He doesn't hold a grudge.
He rarely stinks! The man can skip deoderant and hit the gym and come out smelling like (manly) roses.
He loves a mango.
He doesn't make me promises he can't keep.
He remembers everything and it drives me crazy. (There husband, I said it. Happy Freakin' Anniversary.)
He won me over by following me around my apartment and reading from my roommate's Human Sexuality book about the Grafenburg Spot. (Yes, it's what you think it is.) I had to ask my roommate if he was funny or creepy; she assured me he was funny. She was right.
He really thinks he could fly a helicopter in an emergency.
He is a wonderful daddy.
He was an early talker and one of his first words was "condominium".
He submitted to watching "Dirty Dancing" with me to prove I was special.
He built our home computer. It mostly works.
He has an incredible amount of patience.
He once hit Ian Ziering in the head with a penny.
He knows a lot about space. (Like that the biggest thing in the solar system is Jupiter's magnetosphere. See, I listen.)
He would like a Diet Coke with lemon, please.
He can do the work of at least two people and is rarely appreciated for it.
He can lift really heavy things.
He is insanely good at Guitar Hero.
He sometimes screws the gas tank on so tight that I have to ask strangers to help me get it open.
He folds his t-shirts like they are being displayed at a department store.
He hates Crocs.
He has donuts and McDonald's every year on opening day of the NFL draft. So I have donuts and McDonald's every year on opening day of the NFL draft.
He can't wait for Luke to be old enough to have donuts and McDonald's on opening day of the NFL draft.
He wants to know how everything is made.
He is the only person I know that has a favorite airplane. It is the SR-71 Blackbird, thank you very much.
He taught me that sometimes you have to come out of cover 2 and run a weak-side blitz.
He had insomnia in college and at hour 68 without sleep, a statue of a horse started moving.
He is a loyal friend.
He makes better chicken and pasta than me.
He hates the snow. I mean he REALLY hates the snow.
He has learned to love broccoli. I will take the credit for that one.
He used to have a Nissan Altima and all the hubcaps fell off one by one. Now when he sees one driving he always looks to see if it is missing a hubcap. It usually is.
He wants Luke to be a long snapper in the NFL (because that is the most underrated position and he will always make at least the league minimum).
He hates butternut squash and there is nothing I can do about it.
He knows a little bit about everything and I learn something new everytime we go on a roadtrip.
He always knows how to fix-it after a fight.
He bought me my own DVR so he didn't have to watch...well...any of my shows.
He wanted us to change our last name to Awesome when we got married. He was only partly joking.
He has a dimple on his cheek that he made by falling on the corner his toy box when he was a kid. Ouch.
He used to be in a yo-yo club in college. (Husband: "It wasn't a club! We would just yo-yo when we pulled all-nighters in the workshop, and I got really good at it." Wife: "Sure.")He is very loved.
Happy Anniversary Husband, My Love, Mister, Hunnybunch, and BW (I'll give you a dollar if you can remember that one!). Eventually we'll make it back to our room at the Hyatt, but for now, I'm happy to just be wherever you are. On our wedding day I promised that I would spend every day trying to make you as happy as you make me. I hope it's working. I love you. Wife
Saturday, August 8, 2009
An Afternoon with Jack & Julie
Matt and I headed up to Glendale today to hang out with our good friend, Julie, and her hilarious son, Jack. Here is Julie holding Luke.
And here is the wild man himself, Little Man Jack.
Jack and Matt had a great time spinning coins and watching them fall into the sink. In true kid fashion, Jack could have played this game all day. In true adult fashion, Matt was ready to quit after 5 minutes, but played for a long time to make the little guy happy. It was good practice for him!
Jack is hilarious for many reasons. First off, look at this picture. Secondly, he loves delivery people. He wants to hug them. The guy that delivered lunch today got a big hug from Jack. Also, Jack is not supposed to touch the curtains in the house because his parents don't want him to pull them down on himself, or to fall through a window. Good points, right? He doesn't agree. After multiple incidents and a couple of time outs, Jack gave up his curtain-grabbing escapades and went to play in his parents' room. I found him laying on the bed with his head pressed against the window. I pulled the curtains aside and said, "What are you looking at buddy?" and he yelled, "No touch curtains!" Touche little man. And finally, after hearing a strange thumping sound coming from Jack's room Julie called out, "Jack, what are you doing?", and he replied, "Not doing!" Love this kid.
Thank you Julie and Jack for a wonderful afternoon! Next time we'll make sure that Jordan is around, too!
Amy & Ryan's Wedding
Last weekend we went to the wedding of my best friend from high school's little sister. Got that? Adrienne and I have been friends for about 15 years (Adrienne, can you believe that??), so I have seen her little sister grow from a little girl in her catholic school uniform to a lovely and sweet young lady in her wedding gown. The ceremony and reception were beautiful and we had a great time showing Luke off to everyone.
He is such a good baby. He slept through the ceremony and woke up just in time to party at the reception. He had multiple offers from relatives of the bride and groom to take Luke as their grandson, and he had more kisses from new friends than we can even count.
He even did a little dancing with daddy.
So, I was in charge of picture taking, and I had a lot of wine. We really don't have any good pictures. These are the best of what we have. From now on, husband is always in charge of pictures and must use the fancy camera.
This Is Why We Live In Huntington Beach
Matt and I took Luke for his first beach walk in the Baby Bjorn. He LOVED it! So did Matt and I. Here is a sampling of the fun.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Weekend Part 2: A Day with the Bakkens
Luke decided that the only way to sleep at Nonni and Papa's house is in someone's arms, regardless of the time of day. Naps were split among all of us, but I took the night shift. And while I love sleeping with Luke, he seems to come out more rested than I do. However, we make a cute pair, don't we?
So when Nonni and Papa offered to take him for a walk and let me sleep that morning, I greatfully accepted. I woke up 2 hours later to the smell of bacon and eggs. Gotta love being taken care of by mom.
We had some playtime with Luke where he showed off all his new skills: flying with mommy and stading with Nonni.
Then the Sheehan's made another appearance and Luke had his first dip in the kiddie pool. His feet were really the only thing being dipped, but he seemed to enjoy it. Of course he had to share the pool with Cousin Kenzie and 300 dinasaurs, but he's into group activities and didn't seem to mind.
I've had a very productive morning--2 posts!! But I've just been spit up on--again--and must go change and entertain the baby.
Sleepy Boy
I hurt my foot on our jog yesterday. I'm not sure how bad it is, but I don't think it's a good sign to feel a "pop" when you put pressure on the ball of your foot. I didn't think a jog or walk would be a good thing today, so I thought I would indulge my craving for pancakes and take Luke out to breakfast. I called my practically-across-the-street neighbor and friend, Debbie, to see if she wanted to join me, but she was in San Diego and didn't feel like making the drive for a couple of pancakes. I know, crazy right?? So instead, Luke and I dined alone. Well, I dined and he watched. He's quite good company. He got many oohs and ahhs from the other patrons and I was a proud momma.
But the real reason for this entry is what happened when we got home. We played for a little while and then he fell asleep on my drool-soaked shoulder. Seriously, my shirt is sopping wet. When I laid him down in his crib I just had to stop and marvel at the love I feel for this mini-Matt-with-a-SMIDGE-of-Lisa. I love when he is awake and smiling, but I LOVE to watch him sleep. I love it so much that we have a progression of sleeping Luke pictures that I'd like to share with you.
But the real reason for this entry is what happened when we got home. We played for a little while and then he fell asleep on my drool-soaked shoulder. Seriously, my shirt is sopping wet. When I laid him down in his crib I just had to stop and marvel at the love I feel for this mini-Matt-with-a-SMIDGE-of-Lisa. I love when he is awake and smiling, but I LOVE to watch him sleep. I love it so much that we have a progression of sleeping Luke pictures that I'd like to share with you.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Weekend Part 1: The Sheehans
Matt, Luke and I headed to Sacramento last Thursday for a long weekend with the Bakkens and Sheehans. I can't seem to find time to write about all of the happenings, so I'm posting this update in small portions. I could have worked on putting this together during Luke's nap today, but I decided to nap with him. So, no housework done and no update written, but a much happier mommy in the long run. Here is the first installment!
We spent Friday with my brother and his family and got in some quality time with the niece, Kenzie. She is so sweet with Luke and is very concerned when he cries. She let me know very quickly that the baby cries because he's hungry. Duh, Auntie Lisa, feed the baby and he won't cry. This kid is so smart and full of funny things to say. She has a new big girl bed with Disney Princess sheets. When I asked her which princess was her favorite she tilted her head and replied thoughtfully, "Hmm...I'm not sure exactly." When my mom, aka Nonni, asked if she could see Kenzie's room, she said, "Of course you can!" in her sweet, high-pitched voice. And the best: she has trouble saying the "f" sound and the majority of dinner was spent trying to make her say "Fish have freckles" which she pronounces "Shrish have shreckles." We got it on video; I know, we're jerks.
Luke was sleeping and I thought I'd get in a little play time with Kenzie. We played chase and had a grass fight and did some gymnastics. We were having so much fun, and I was thinking that I can't wait until Luke is 2 1/2-years-old. And just then, things went awry. We were playing the "It's Mine" game and I told her that the jungle gym was mine. This did not go over well. "It's mwine!" she yelled back (yes, she says "mwine", I know, so cute!). I thought this was all part of 
the game so I said, "No, it's mine and you can't come on here." Followed by chants of "Mine!", "Mwine!", "Mine!", "MWINE!" At that point I could see and hear that the little lady was starting to lose patience with me so I said, "Why don't we share it and play together?" to which she yelled "NO" and followed with an ear piercing scream. This was the end of play time with Auntie Lisa. She grabbed Nonni by the finger and took her away to play without me. That will teach me to disagree with a 2-year old. And it will also teach me to enjoy my little man sleeping quietly in his stroller.
We spent Friday with my brother and his family and got in some quality time with the niece, Kenzie. She is so sweet with Luke and is very concerned when he cries. She let me know very quickly that the baby cries because he's hungry. Duh, Auntie Lisa, feed the baby and he won't cry. This kid is so smart and full of funny things to say. She has a new big girl bed with Disney Princess sheets. When I asked her which princess was her favorite she tilted her head and replied thoughtfully, "Hmm...I'm not sure exactly." When my mom, aka Nonni, asked if she could see Kenzie's room, she said, "Of course you can!" in her sweet, high-pitched voice. And the best: she has trouble saying the "f" sound and the majority of dinner was spent trying to make her say "Fish have freckles" which she pronounces "Shrish have shreckles." We got it on video; I know, we're jerks. 
We took a walk to the park for a little post-dinner exercise and I learned that Kenzie's love for me is conditional and I can easily be replaced by Nonni if I make a wrong move. After all, I am L.A. Auntie, as my loving brother named me, and Nonni is a permanant, local fixture. And, Nonni is fantastic.
Luke was sleeping and I thought I'd get in a little play time with Kenzie. We played chase and had a grass fight and did some gymnastics. We were having so much fun, and I was thinking that I can't wait until Luke is 2 1/2-years-old. And just then, things went awry. We were playing the "It's Mine" game and I told her that the jungle gym was mine. This did not go over well. "It's mwine!" she yelled back (yes, she says "mwine", I know, so cute!). I thought this was all part of 
the game so I said, "No, it's mine and you can't come on here." Followed by chants of "Mine!", "Mwine!", "Mine!", "MWINE!" At that point I could see and hear that the little lady was starting to lose patience with me so I said, "Why don't we share it and play together?" to which she yelled "NO" and followed with an ear piercing scream. This was the end of play time with Auntie Lisa. She grabbed Nonni by the finger and took her away to play without me. That will teach me to disagree with a 2-year old. And it will also teach me to enjoy my little man sleeping quietly in his stroller.However, Luke did wake up while we were at the park, and this is what he thought of being roused from his slumber:
Stay tuned for "A Day at the Bakkens" and "Amy's Wedding" coming soon to a computer near you.
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