As Luke would say, "Oh, Good Golly..."

It's been a while. I really didn't ever intend to start this blog again as so many things have changed since I last wrote. For one, I am now Luke AND Zack's Mommy. And even crazier, Zack is about to be 1 year old. It dawned on me today that one of my favorite posts was my letter to Luke on his first birthday, and I want to make sure that I do the same for the newest love of my life. I don't know how often I will actually update this blog, but I have to at least write a letter to my Zacky-Pants about his first year.

I just needed to get this first post out of the way, so, there. I feel better. :)

In Memoriam

This weekend I had the sad experience of attending the memorial service of a dear family friend, Monika Bunney. She was one of my mom's closest friends and the mother of my brother's best friend. She passed away far too soon after a battle with cancer. She leaves behind a wonderful husband, two married children, 6 grandchildren, and scores of friends. I am heartbroken for those she left behind.

This lovely woman was a fixture in our family; a player in all the great acts of my life. She was there when I celebrated my high school and college graduations, engagement party, bridal shower, wedding, and baby shower, not to mention the countless holidays and family gatherings she was a part of over the past 25 years. I spent the majority of 4th of July's of my youth swimming in the Bunneys' pool and watching her son and my brother light off fireworks in front of their house. She was always ready for a glass of wine and a chat in the back yard. She was funny and spunky and loved my mom and stepdad and brother so much. It always made me happy that they all had each other since I wasn't close by. I will always be grateful for the joy she brought into my mom's life, the shoulder she provided her when I couldn't be there, and the unwavering friendship she offered. Moni will be ever present in the memories of the Sheehan/Bakken/Johnson family.

She leaves behind a legacy of friendship and love that is widespread among all who had the pleasure of knowing her. Visitors to the Bunney Hut will forever miss their hostess, but are infinitely better people for having been her guests.

Monika Bunney

February 4, 1942 - August 12, 2010

Aaaaaand....we're back!

I received a gentle nudge in my email last night reminding me that the last time I posted was in April. And now it's June. Hmm. Apparently it's time for a recap. Thank you for the reminder friend who shall remain nameless but lives in MN and has a baby.

Where to start...

First off, our very good friends, Ryan and Debbie, got married in April and we were so happy to celebrate with them! They were married on the sand in Laguna Beach and had their reception at La Casa Del Camino which is where Matt and I were married. It was so nice to be back there and remember our special day. Matt played guitar at the ceremony and Luke and I proudly watched from the sand below. And, yes, Luke had his very own suit. He was quite dapper. Here are pictures from the rehearsal dinner and the ceremony. Deb looked beautiful, and Ryan cleaned up pretty well himself!

Next, Luke's birthday! We had our first party in our very own home and it was quite fun. I think there were around 30 people, and it seemed really comfortable. Luke was a little anxious at the sheer number of faces and other babies who were playing with his toys. And let's just say that cake time did not go as planned. I baked him a cake on his actual birthday (carrot and apple juice--no sugar!) and he went to town on it! I frosted it with unsweetened whipped cream and the kid was in heaven. He ate it for two days and then I got rid of it so it would be a treat again at his birthday party. But the faces staring and singing and candle and pictures were just too much to handle and he refused to touch the cake. Such a let down! There were comments that perhaps I should have just allowed my child to eat sugar for heaven's sake, but I'm sticking to my guns. Sugar has too much control over my life and I will do all I can to help my child live free of it's sweet, delicious grasp.

Here are some pictures of the actual birthday festivities. I can't find the pictures from his party right now. Oops. But, notice how much he loves the cake. I'm telling you: NO SUGAR NEEDED!

We also had a great visit from the Bakkens and the Sheehans. Unfortunately, one-half of Team Bakken (the better half, of course) was extremely sick. But, she was a trooper and still made it to the Wild Animal Park. It was a little over Luke's head, but he had a nice nap while everyone fed the birds and then visited the petting zoo. Kenzie was as cute as ever and tried her darndest to play with Luke! It's tough to be 3 1/2 and try to play with a 1 year old. 1 year olds don't share. I have some great videos and I'll try to post them later. In the meantime, here is Luke's experience at the Wild Animal Park.

Yup, that was it. But it was still pretty darn fun.

I'm sorry for the long delay. I know that you all yearn to know what is happening in Luke's daily life, so I promise I'll do better. Here's a little tidbit for you: he's a walker. Yup! It's official. It's about 75/25 walking to crawling ratio, so I think that he can now be considered "walking". It took a few months to get here but a trip to the park yesterday where he walked the whole time (which was over an hour!) pretty much cemented it. He's officially a toddler. Oh, and his favorite thing to do is say "No!" while shaking his head. Yup, it's on.

Happy Weekend Peeps!

Cheerios

Matt is out of town so I have been doing the Lukie shuffle during dinner prep. This consists of avoiding stepping on his cute little body while walking to the pantry, trying not to knock him in the head while opening the fridge, and stretching my arms to double their normal length to avoid moving my legs which are currently occupied by a little monkey playing peek-a-boo between them. I was stir-frying some veggies while Luke was playing in the pantry. I heard him grab the box of Cheerios, I saw him trying to open the box, I even said to him, "Should we have some Cheerios before dinner?" Apparently the answer was yes.

Not sure why the pictures are like this, but it's too late to try and format. Ahh, babies.

A Letter to My Lukie

Little Lukie Love Bug,


Today you are 1 year old. Sheesh. My Little Man. Every day of your life I have told you how much I love you, how grateful I am that you are in my life, and what a special little person you are. But, just in case you ever forget, here's a little reminder.

I vividly remember the exact moment I fell in love with you and felt that bond that meant you belonged to me. It was the morning after the very long day when you were born. You announced that you were ready to start your arrival at 3:06 am on April 20, 2009. A mere three hours after your official due date had passed. The last thing Daddy said to my belly before we went to bed that night was, "Are you sure you don't want to come out now? Daddy really doesn't want to go to work tomorrow." And, just like now, you listened to Daddy.

Something woke me in those early morning hours. This usually meant that you were pushing on my full bladder, so, as per usual, I headed toward the bathroom. But for once in 9 months, that wasn't the reason for my mid-night wake up call. I felt a pop and rushed to make it to the safety of the bathroom floor-- we were renting at the time and I don't think that our landlord would have overlooked amniotic fluid on the carpet when refunding our deposit. I yelled to Daddy that my water broke and he responded with, "Are you sure?" That is a comical response to someone who has ever had their water break, because, yes, I was sure. Daddy and I anxiously gathered our things and headed to the hospital, excited to finally see your sweet face and hold you in our arms. Unfortunately, you would not be ready to meet us face-to-face for another 19 hours or so.

Needless to say, when you were finally laid in my arms, I was tired. You were perfect. You looked just like your daddy. You were a sweet bundle of fingers and toes and love and scrunchy face. And we were both sleepy. I remember finally closing my eyes with you in the bassinet next to me. I think I was in a little bit of shock about what had just happened and couldn't quite believe that after all this time you were finally "real" and laying right next to me. I fell asleep for a few hours of much needed rest.

When I opened my eyes and realized where I was and felt the pain that reminded me that this was real, I focused on the little bassinet at my side. Inside the clear plastic case I saw the most beautiful face and dark eyes staring at me with curiosity and love. My heart filled and my eyes filled and I needed to hold you and kiss you and tell you I loved you immediately. But pain and fatigue kept me from getting to you and I had to wake Daddy up to put you in my arms. You were mine and I couldn't believe that I had lived all these years without you. Never before had I felt so complete. Never before could I have imagined how wonderful it would be to hold you. Never before had I felt so much love. You and Daddy are the loves of my life, and to finally have you both together was really more than I ever could imagine. Happiest day of my life.

I can't come close to listing all the amazing things that have occurred during your life. So many firsts, like your first taste of sweet potatoes. One word: love! So many repeats, like the nightly reading of The Very Hungry Caterpillar. He was still hungry. So many scares, like the two bloody lips in two days. It's hard to get blood stains out of t-shirts, by the way. So many lasts, like the last night in our apartment. It was your first home, and I will always love it for that reason. So much laughter, like the first time I made you scream with joy while playing chase. I fell over laughing! So many tears, like that first night of sleep training. Some were yours; some were Mommy's. But the most amazing thing has been watching you grow and change, and feeling the overwhelming love that Daddy and I have for you. In short, you are our favorite thing ever.

And while we, as your parents, are obligated to love you, the best part about this relationship is that we also really like you! You're clever. You snuck over and stole Alicia's painting tape when she wasn't looking and then brought it back to me to show off. I was never more proud! You're sweet. You cuddle with me during afternoon bottle time and while reading books before bed. You're funny. Between the faces and screams and gestures and sneakiness and the throwing of everything you can grab, you keep me laughing all day long. You're smart. While getting ready for Uncle Ryan and Auntie Debbie's wedding where Daddy would be playing guitar, you looked at me and said, "Dada guitar." I was dumbfounded. And finally, you are the cutest thing that your dad and I have ever seen. Daddy has even coined a phrase: in G-rated terms, you are a-gosh-darn-dorable.

Happy Birthday to you my little love, my stinker, my monkey, my sweet-face, my baby boy, my love bug. I hope that every year of your life is filled with as much wonder and joy as the last twelve months. I love you to the moon and back. I love you for infinity. I love you, my little man.

Love,

Mommy

The New 'Do

Here is the story-in-pictures of Luke's first haircut! Enjoy!

He's such a big boy!! Love that little face.

Big Day!

This afternoon we are heading to the baby salon for Luke's first hair cut! The sweet baby curls have taken on a mind of their own and transformed into a mullet before our eyes. Being that I see everything about Luke through the eyes of a doting mommy, I didn't notice until it was too late. At a birthday party for Luke's buddy last week I saw all the other little boys with cool, gel-styled cuts, and suddenly Luke's hair went from sweet baby head to messy, hippie child. By the way, Matt has been saying Luke needed a haircut for (dare I say it???) months. I really wanted to wait until his first birthday, but that's only 11 days away, so close enough.

PLUS, we have a big celebration this weekend that kicks off today. Our great friends, Ryan and Debbie, are getting married tomorrow!! Halle-freakin'-lujiah! We thought that we should clean up the kid in honor of their nuptials. We even got Luke his very first suit. It's a tan, summer suit, in honor of the bright blue skies we have right now.

Such a great weekend in front of us! I'll leave you with a couple of "before" pictures and post the "after"s later today. I hope it's sunny wherever you are! Our heater broke, so let's hope this weather is here to stay for a while! Yay, homeowners.