Luke's first Christmas!

We had the best Christmas this year, spending time on Christmas Eve with Jared's family, and Christmas day with my parents, brother and Mike in the morning and then my grandma, Aunt, Uncle, cousins and my cousins girlfriend and their new little (well not so little) addition Benjamin! It was so much fun seeing everybody. And we are just overwhelmed with love and gratitude this year.

Last night Jared and I went out to this restaurant downtown for his 31st birthday and we were talking about how many crazy blessings we have had this year. To start it out, Jared graduated valedictorian in his paramedic class, and I found out I was pregnant with Luke. Then Jared got a new job as a full time fire-medic at Warrenville Fire Dept, we bought a house in warrenville, and made it JUST in time for the tax credit, had our sweet little angel in september and decided that I could go back to work just a few hours a week so I could mostly stay home to raise our sweet little man. I mean there are so many blessings in between there...but seriously, just about every major (good) life change happened to us this year. God is SO good, so so so good!

Luke and Grandma on Christmas Eve

Luke and Papa

Luke was getting super tired and cranky, Jared took him in the other room and it got quiet, this is what I found when I walked in. My 2 favorite boys passed out from a hard day

Me and the monkey man opening presents with my family Christmas morning!

Grammy and grampy got Luke this new monkey and he seriously loves it. I gave it to him and he grabbed it and immediately started sucking on it and holding onto it. It is so sweet

Luke was all tuckered out from opening so many toys, he passed out.

One of my cousins, my Aunt and Grandma, which she wants Luke to call her GG =)

Some of the fam hanging around waiting to open presents.

Luke and his new buddy, Ben (my cousins little boy) Ben is 2 months younger than Luke and bigger than him, he is so stinkin cute, I just want to eat him up!

We couldn't get a good shot with us 4 looking and eyes open...so here we go. Me and my cousin Scott and our little men.

Seriously!? Could this kid get any cuter!

Luke playing on his firetruck with daddy

I love his expression and arms in this one! Silly man!

Luke wearing his super awesome shirt that one of my best friends, Crystal made for him!! Smiley boy.

My little man is B.A.!

BIG SMILE!

I can't get enough of this kid!

3 MONTHS OLD!!

Yesterday our little Luke turned 3 months! WOW! Where has the time gone! He doesn't go to the doctor this month, so I don't know his exact weight and length, I will probably bring him in one of these days to weight him, since I work there I can pretty much just stop in whenever I want to use the scale =)

Napping in his crib is really not getting much easier. I guess maybe a "little" bit. He sleeps for about 30-45 min chunks and then wakes up screaming. Yesterday we went out Christmas shopping so he just napped in his car seat, but even in there he didn't sleep long.  He is such a good boy though, growing up so fast! He holds his head up so good, and talks (coos) a lot more, and smiles all the time. Such a happy boy.

Here are a couple pictures I took today!

"You talkin to me?"

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All wrapped up after his bath

"Stop taking pictures, mommy!"

"Hmmm...let me think about that."

I love to eat my fingers!

I couldn't get a pic without his fingers or pacifier in his mouth

Laughing =)

So Luke has been "kinda" laughing, not REALLY laughing but a little giggle here an there. But yesterday I was at my parents and Luke passed out in my arms and he started REALLY laughing in his sleep and it woke him up. It was SO cute! He is smiling ALL the time now, not just when he is getting his diaper changed. He is such a sweet sweet boy. We are SO blessed!! 

First snow and fist obsession

Luke has been noticing his hands and sucking on them for a couple weeks, but it seems like the last 2 days that's all he wants to do is try to shove his hands all the way in his mouth! He gets so intense about it!

Such a sweet man.

I thought this was just too cute not to post!

Luke's 1st snow!! I wish he was old enough to go play in it! I can't wait till next year!

I made him sit in his bumbo by the window so we could take a few pics of him and his 1st snow!!

"Really mom, more pictures."

Week end....

So I had a bit of a rough week this week, but it seemed so much easier to deal with getting together with some great friends, and fellow mommies to help me get through it! I am realizing that really all I need to do is reach out and ASK for help from other moms, or encouragement or advice and so many people are willing to give it. It makes being a mommy so much easier, well, I guess I wouldn't say it's easy, but a little tiny bit easier, and I just feel a little bit more sane.

Here are some of the breath taking pictures that one of those amazing friend's I mentioned above, Sara, took of our little Luke Anthony. Thanks Sara! You are totally awesome. For real.

such a big boy now!!

I LOVE this picture of our family...just LOVE it!

Handsome little man!

I can't get over how sweet he is.

Everyone told me that you would never feel a love like you so for your child, and I had NO IDEA, this little man has stolen my heart.

My sweet boys.

Update on the Luke man

So we are trying to get Luke to nap in his crib again, it's been about 2 days and he is NOT liking it one bit. I am beginning to feel a little frustrated by this, I feel like it MUST be easier than this. I MUST be doing something wrong. Ugh. He continues to wake up crying, over and over again. And bed time WAS easy, he was letting me put him down about 7 or 8 and he would sleep about a 6 hour chunk, but that stopped about 4 days ago. He keeps waking up crying, there is nothing wrong, clean diaper, full belly, so I just don't get it. Well I will keep on keeping on in hopes that things will get better. I love this little man more that anything in the world and I just want him to get some good rest. He usually only takes little cat naps in his swing, my arms, or in the car seat, so maybe that is where I went wrong. I guess now I have to break that habit.

On a better note, Luke will be 12 weeks old tomorrow!! Where has these last 12 weeks gone? I am so sad because I am going back to work monday (only for a few hours a week) but STILL, how in the world am I going to leave this sweet boy. I can't even think about it, it makes me too sad. I don't know how long I will handle this whole going back to work thing. I have always dreamed of staying at home raising my children. I guess I can't always get what I want =) I am thankful that Jared will be watching him on his days off and my mom when he is working. So I am confident he will be in the best hands possible.

Sitting up like a big boy in his bumbo by the Christmas tree!

Luke and I went and visited his girlfriend Trinity (who is 3 days younger) and her beautiful momma AnneMarie

Love his chub and that he blows bubbles now...what a sweet little chunky butt!

Luke is doing a great job holding his big noggin up now! What a strong boy!

I sure do LOVE this little man with ALL my heart. What a sweetie pie.