uuuurrrrrrrrggggggggghhhhhhhhhh

okay so this has been a very interesting and strange week. Monday I found out that I will probably not have my same job next year. I was sooo sad and cried a lot. My job is one that I have been very attached to. I am in a position I love, working with great kids, and a partner that I can't imagine working without (we balance each other so well). But now I find myself laughing because so many other things have happened this week, I can't do anything else but laugh. Everyone around me has had such good luck this week. My aunt won a free laptop, Abraham got a random gift card sent to him for itunes, my mom got to go see OPRAH...and I loose my job! It has been really interesting to see everyone at work try and figure out who stays and who goes, at this point I just want to know what I need to do next and not concern myself with what is happening with everyone else.

In other news, Lucas is just growing too fast for words. He follows me EVERY where!!! This morning he got into the dogs water dish and then laid in it and got all wet (I was late to work). He is getting a little cold coming on and looks so miserable, my heart aches for him and I wish it were me and not him =( I can't wait for my little man to feel better. We will just snuggle and comfort each other until everything works itself out =) ~Valarie

We have a climber!!!!

Our little monster is definitely becoming a little monster! He loves pulling himself up on everything and just getting into anything. It is so fun to watch him now. He really loves playing with his papi. He especially likes standing and using papi's hair to keep his balance, better papi than mami.

We experienced a really funny event yesterday...we think that Lucas said his first word. He actually screamed it. While looking at me he screamed teta over and over because he wanted me to allow him to nurse, we just looked at each other and laughed because we have been competing over mami or papi for the first word with meaning. He has said da da da but it is just babble.

I have noticed that he is becoming more aware of strangers lately. He doesn't just go with people as easily, he gets this little pensive look, like who are you but then he goes. It is interesting because he has been such a ham.

Lucas is growing fast. He just cut his 3rd tooth and is a really heavy boy now. So heavy that he is hard to carry for extended periods of time. We try to encourage him to get around on the floor. He has mastered crawling and has been trying to walk behind his little walker fire truck. He has great balance and I'm sure will be walking in no time. We have been forced to start child-proofing some things in the house because our little man has showed us that it just wasn't going to work. He has also really taken a liking to playing peek-a-boo and his little giggle just melts my heart!!! I can't wait to see what comes next!!! ~Valarie

sorry it has been so long

So it has been a while. We have experienced a lot in the past couple of months. Abraham finished his school (we are so proud of him). But it took him away from Lucas and I a lot in the past couple of months, so things were a little more difficult. It was also very busy for both of us at work getting the kids ready for the holiday season. We both felt horrible like we were neglecting Lucas because we had so much going on. I hope that things calm down and we can work on settling into our normal family routine now.

My little man is now a very big 7 months old!!! He is moving around so much and just developing his own little personality. It is so cute! He is a very laid back baby for the most part, like his daddy, but he has little mood swings every once in a while (I have no idea where that comes from =P). I still find myself having a hard time leaving him when I have to go to work, some days are much more difficult than others, I am dreading going back to work after this long break. It is even harder now because he is much more cuddly, so I miss his hugs all day long.

Lucas finds his way around very quickly now, he does not crawl he scoots his body. He does a very fast backwards crawl and has learned to sit up from laying on his belly. His new feat is he has learned to pull himself up on his little walker toy and move his hands from the toy to the room door. I am starting to think that he may not crawl and might just walk, but we will see what happens.

He is also really funny when he eats now. Lucas loves his meal times and he has learned to open his mouth really wide for each bite like a little bird. He really focuses on his food and is not easily distracted unless Gordy is around. We have given him Cheerios and he loves them but does not pick them up and put them in his mouth he has figured out that it is easier to grab my hand and put it to his mouth with the Cheerio on it. He has two little teeth that he eats with.

We had a lot of fun at Christmas. Lucas like opening his gifts and eating the wrapping paper. He got a toy that uses air to pop balls up and he is really intrigued by that toy. He also received a big Leap Frog riding fire truck with a lot of sound and lights that he really likes. He really just enjoys being the center of attention and rolling around with everyone at all of our family gatherings. We have been truly blessed with a very mellow little guy who brings joy not only in our home, but to all of our family. His little smile and laugh brightens our life each and every day!!!

Where has the time gone?!?

Lucas is 5 months already, and I just sit and think about when he was just born. It is crazy that he has been with us for 5 months and I do not remember my life before him!!! The funny part is I don't want to. He has made me so happy and everyday with him has given me a new found appreciation for Abraham also. I still see the two of them together and my heart just melts, and I absolutely KNOW that I am the LUCKIEST girl in the world, to have to guys that I love so much.

Lucas is sitting up all by himself now. He likes to sit and play and laugh with me. His little belly laughs are so adorable, it is something that I could listen to all day long. He has had a couple of little falls backwards, but for the most part he is doing really well. Lucas is also starting to enjoy peek a boo, he will wait for me to pop out from behind a blanket or my hands and just giggle.

He is getting so big and chunky, we will go to the doctor in a couple of weeks, but i think he is pushing 20 lbs. We are hoping to start him on green beans this weekend, since he already eats two large bowls of cereal a day, and seems like he could do more, but I don't want him to learn to over eat. We have been really amazed at how Lucas has turned out because it is not exactly what we expected. He is a very routine kind of baby (and anyone who knows me knows I am so scatter-brained that routine is really not my thing), he even prefers to sleep in his crib (we have tried putting him in the bed with us but he doesn't like it. He even puts himself back to sleep when he wakes up in the middle of the night =) I just don't know where this came from, maybe Abraham because it wasn't me.

Abraham is going for his surgery on Wednesday and I am going to be left to do everything, this

is going to be really hard, but I know it will be better for our family in the long run. ~Valarie

Busy baby

This beginning of the school year has been very busy for our little family. Abe has been doing so much with school and work, and this year has been a little crazy for me at work to. I make it a little harder on myself though because the way that I see it is, if I am going to give up my time with Lucas to be at work I am going to make it count. We have also had a lot of things going on in our personal lives, so the weekends are full too.

This past weekend we went to Leo's birthday party at the pumpkin farm. Lucas was loving it, he was just watching everything that was goi

ng on, it was like he wanted to get down and run around with the other kids. He went on his very

first hay ride and was picking up hay, he also got his very first pumpkin from grandpa Gordy.

Lucas is growing big! He is doing good with his cereal, bu

t we are not sure at point we should move him to twice a d

ay (we will figure it out). I am nerv

ous to give him any other food because it makes me feel like he is growing to fast. He is also loving his bouncy toy, he is already jumping so high. Lucas is sitting in a tripod position, it will be no time at all until he is ready to sit up all by himself. It is funny to watch him when he is on his belly because he is getting his legs under himself and doing giant pushes forward, he just needs to figure out how to get his arms into the right position and he will be ready to crawl. All in all, I just love him so much and I am enjoying watc

hing him grow so big!!! ~Valarie

lovin' life

So my little big man is really getting big. Last thursday we took Lucas to the doctor and he already weighs 17lbs 5oz!!!! and is 24 3/4 inches. We bought him one of those stand up bouncer toys and he loves it, he just bounces and coos and laughs, it is GREAT!

He is starting to develop such an awesome personality. He loves to "talk" to people and is very cheerful in the mornings. Last week was a little har

d because he did not want to sleep, but this week he is sleeping great.

We gave him cereal two weeks ago, the first couple of bites he made the mr. yuck face but then cried b/c I wasnt giving it to him fast enough. He has also really developed his ability to hold his head up when he is laying on his belly.

Lucas has also made me really just LOVE my life!!! If I put my hands in front of him he reaches for me and makes my heart just melt. I'll even admit I already want another one =) Abe says absolutely not. Lucas has been the grea

test thing that has ever happened to me and I would love for this feeling to continue for the rest of my life. ~Valarie

two weeks down

Okay...so Abe and I have been back at work and it has been nuts!!! The first day that I left my little man was soooooooo hard. Even though I knew he was in great hands I couldn't help but feel like I was being a bad mommy by leaving him. I went to work and cried hysterically all morning. We had a staff meeting in the morning and I sat in back crying the whole time, part of the meeting was to introduce ourselves and say what we did over the summer, I couldn't even talk I was crying so hard missing him. It was a little help that there was another mommy sitting right by me feeling the same way (Sandy and I tried to help each other). The next day I only cried a little in the morning and each day got a little better. I was very fortunate because my very good friend, Mayda, watched him for me and she brought him to me at lunch so I could feed him =) (I am loving breastfeeding because I feel like it is bonding time with Lucas that is built in throughout the day). I had another melt down this past tuesday when I went back to work after a 3 day weekend, I had to leave him all over again. I got to work and a lot of my students were having separation issues with their parents which made it a little harder for me, it was cool because Elena brought him to me so I could feed him ( Yes Elena is the one that is watching him now). The rest of the week I did much better.

These past two weeks have afforded me the opportunity to really appreciate my son. Each day I got home and I was absolutely ecstatic to see my baby. It made me even more excited to watch Abe's face glow when he got home and saw Lucas, it made my heart melt. What has been even better about the situation is that each day Lucas shares a moment with me in the morning where he lets out a big belly laugh so I know he is okay.

Lucas is getting so big! He is now able to get his knees under himself, so we know he will be crawling in no time at all. He laughs and smiles all of the time, he is really a happy baby (he hope he stays like that). He also has started sleeping through the night, last night he slept from 8:45 to 6:30 so we have really gotten some good sleep. I am so excited to see him continue to grow and develop. ~ Valarie