Lucas is One!

A whole year has passed since bringing our little man home, and its been one of the most challenging and rewarding years of my life.  We had a great time last weekend celebrating his birthday with all our family and closest friends, and I will be sure to post all the details soon.  On to the details...

Lucas is now attempting to run, and is actually quite successful, even though his brain doesn't quite catch up with his feet and he still stumbles around.  He loves to wander around, and sometimes he's entertained enough that I can sit in the back yard enjoying a coffee while he meanders around the trees and rocks, and contents himself with playing in the dirt.  I have been pointing out the names of things outside like grass and rocks, and even though he hasn't mastered those words he seems to understand us since he will bring us a rock when prompted.

His level of understanding of the world around him, and things that we tell him is honestly so amazing, and makes his mama so proud.  He has this amazing sense of direction, which lends itself to a funny story.  We were at a bass pro shop a few weeks ago and it was just in time to watch the fishes being fed, which Lucas was thoroughly enjoying; however my adventurous little man wanted to get into the water, so we moved away, and I'm talking like near the end of the store, and he made his way all the way back through clothes racks, and displays.  Obviously the tantrum that ensued when we left was less than stellar, but in retrospect we were amazed. 

His understanding has lent itself to quite the mischievous and playful side.  He has this odd obsession with eating plants, full well knowing that he shouldn't, but what does the bugger do, if no one is watching he will tear leaves off of plants and just throw them on the floor, but if he has an audience then he proceeds to stuff them in his mouth and watch while everyone clamours over to him to remove said leaves.  I dread the teenage years where it seems he will relish in defying authority.

He seems to not quite know whether he wants to drop a nap or not, and we have had a few days when he has refused his morning nap, only to be extremely fussy until he finally sleeps later.  But he's still sleeping well at night which I can't complain about especially since we were just at a play group last week, and I discovered that 3 out of the 5 moms were still dealing with 12 to 14 month olds not sleeping the night.  Since we haven't dealt with that problem since Lucas was 5 months old, I'm counting my blessings.

Lucas' appetite has taken a bit of a nose dive, notable at lunch.  I think this may have to do with the nap situation, since when he doesn't have his morning nap he's too over stimulated to want to eat so he just ends up snacking.  He has taken a huge liking to eggs this month though, and boy loves his meat of any kind, just this evening he ate a toddlers portion of white fish that would put some people to shame.  He's going through a love/hate relationship with veggies right now, so I'm going to start adding them to his eggs and pancakes, and makes fritters with them which I know he loves.

Lucas' full vocabulary list right now includes: mama, dada, nonna, nonno, no, yeah, hello, bye, da (give in Portuguese), go, ba (he uses this for his bottle, and has just started referring to balls this way as well).  I have to say that I'm pretty proud of his verbal skills, he "talks" a lot, and he definitely is having conversations with us, and we are always encouraging him to speak, and attempt to understand him.  We are firm believers in "including" Lucas in conversations, and I feel that he responds really well to this form of communication.

He is still very much a people person, and loves to wave and say hello to anyone who looks his way.  He charms the pants off of any stranger, and people are always taken in by his effusive smile, and laughter.  It really warms my heart to see how social he is, and how he seems to make friends at his play groups with such ease.  We are teaching him the rules of sharing, and I'm glad to say that he is not the first kid to take a toy away from another, if anything he usually offers it.

Lucas you have brought so much love and laughter to a lot of people this year, and I can't honestly wait to see what the future holds for you little one.

Five on Friday

Wow this week just flew by, and I've been so busy trying to get the house back in order after Lucas' birthday party, as well as attempting to decorate for fall, all while getting Lucas adjusted to one nap.  Yup its been fun around here.  So without further ado here are some highlights this week.

{one}
Fall season premieres were this week, and even though I'm already behind on a few since I get maybe an hour or two of tv after Lucas' is down for the night, I'm too excited for the return of some of my faves.  A great evening for me now is a nice hot tea, snuggled on the sofa with my other main man and enjoying a little down time together.  I'm sure a lot of you can relate.

{two}
Lucas received a great picnic table from his aunt and uncle.  So far he has figured out how to sit on it but to dismount he just ends up on the floor.  However, his favourite thing to do with the new piece of furniture is his new favourite pastime of climbing.  Lord help me this kid is well on his way of putting years on my life.

{three}
Lucas' learned to say the word HELLO this week, and its the most precious thing to hear, especially since it sounds like he's saying yellow.  Along with his new word he has fostered a love for the phone, so his nonna bought him a play phone, which he proceeds to attempt to make a call and then pass the phone to you.  Its adorable, like most things he does.

{four}
We spent Sunday at my aunt and uncles for his and my grandmother's birthday, and Lucas discovered my cousin's little car.  Its a little late to get him one this year especially since the weather is just going to continue getting cooler, however his delight in riding one was too cute for words.

{five}
Lucas is really just loving walking everywhere, and its getting a little easier to manage him when we walk around places, cause he doesn't always run off (except maybe the time he ran into the bush on his auntie and nonna lol).  This week we walked to the park, all on his own, no stroller, and he held my hand for 90% of the walk!  I secretly loved every stinking moment.

I promise I will find sometime this weekend to organize my posts about Lucas' birthday party, his one year photos, his one year stats, and other tidbits going on around here.  For now I hope everyone has a lovely weekend, we are off tomorrow to a local apple farm for a double family date with my sister.

Dear Lucas

A year ago today I laid eyes on your sweet face, and nothing in this world was ever the same.  You will never quite grasp how much you changed my life, filling a void that I knew was there, making me your mommy forever, and giving me a purpose to my life.

You have filled our home with laughter, love, and endless days of running around your energetic self.  You made us parents the moment that you entered this world, but throughout this year you have taught us the meaning of being mommy and daddy.  For every cry that you made, we cried harder inside; for every giggle you had you brought light into our lives; for every milestone you achieved we cheered you on the sidelines.  That my love, will never change.  we will always feel your pain alongside you, revel in your laughter and joy, and we will always be your biggest supporters.

I embrace your independent nature, even if a little of me hurts inside when you don't need me.  I encourage you to explore until your heart is content, and I will guide you as long as you let me. 

You test my patience already with your strong will, and stubbornness (but I guess that's to expected with parents like us), but deep down I'm glad that you show a personality riddled with determination, and a drive to get what you want.  I love that you already know how to ask for cuddles, and your kisses lately have been the highlight of my day.  Watching you run to the door to greet daddy is an image I had longed for, and often I just stand there and smile as you grin ear to ear when daddy picks you up in the air.  When you cry out mama cause I am the only one who can comfort you. there are really no words to describe that kind of need.

Lucas, a year ago today I held you for the first time, such a sweet sensation that no words could aptly describe.  I heard your cry and knew there would never be a sweeter sound.  I looked into your eyes and we both knew that love at first sight exists after all.  I was blessed to have you, and I continue to feel blessed every day.

Happy Birthday my little man, no one will love you quite as much as mommy and daddy.

Five on Friday

Its Birthday Week in the Baccega household!  I'm still in disbelief that we will be celebrating my little man's first birthday tomorrow. 

So in his honour here are 5 photos from this week that melt my heart and showcase my baby's adorable personality.

{one}
We started off the week with a day at the Nonni's house, where Lucas always gets what he wants, which in this case was eating his jello with his hands and making as much of a mess as he wants.  I must admit that I used to be really anal about the amount of mess a child makes when eating, but as Lucas has gotten older and more understanding of his surroundings I'm a little more go with the flow.  Topping off his adorableness was the glass my father in law put on him, which he left on the entire time the jello playing occurred!  This from the kid that I need to bribe to keep a hat on.  This picture encompasses so much of his playful side, and love for all things silly; there is rarely a day that goes by that this kid isn't laughing up a storm, or trying to make you laugh with his antics.

 

{two}

I nearly died from the cuteness of this picture after I took it.  Lucas loves loves the outdoors, and I'm pretty sure I have mentioned this before, but this mama was so not an outdoor person, I'm a book reading by the fire with a cup of coffee type of person.  But Lucas has taught me that there is so much to be said and enjoyed when you spend the day in the fresh air.  We have enjoyed and soaked in every last sun kissed day this summer, and I'm looking forward to crisper days spent leaf gathering, and snowball making with this rosy cheeked little looker. 

 



{three}

First of all when I took this pic I realized gosh darn it this kid grew another inch in a mere month!  He now reaches yet another shelf of his book case, and in no time he will be towering over his very short mama.  Second, I am so glad that I have read to Lucas since literally the day we came home with him, even when all he could do was sit in my arms and watch me flip the pages.  We started a routine of reading a story at bedtime, very early on, and I have taken him to the library and book store often.  Now, he's shaping up to be as much of a book nerd as his mama, and it just warms my heart.  He actually has a few favourites, so much so that if he's playing and I open the book and start reading he will stop what he's doing and sit by side to listen to the story.  I really should do a post on some of his favourite books, since some of them are not your mainstream children's books. 

 



{four}

Don't come between a boy and his love for dirt and trucks.  Lucas is such a typical boy when it comes to his love for anything with wheels, which is really quite funny since its not like we have thrust on him these stereotypical boy toys, if anything he got his first cars set a month ago.  But if it has wheels he will make a bee line for it, that includes strollers, shopping carts, and cars.  His obsession with dirt is one I have just had to come to terms with being a boy mama.  He is one happy kid when I let him roam wild in the garden getting his hands dirty, and rubbing all the dirty goodness all over himself.  Unfortunately as a consequence of his age a lot of that dirt still ends up in his mouth, and this horrified mama spends a lot of time cleaning a much reluctant Lucas' mouth as he munches on rocks, sand, and dirt.  This week the hubby and I took him to a near by apple farm for a day date, and all this kid wanted was to sit and play in the huge sand pit available, decked out with trucks.  So we let the happy camper be, and we just sat by and enjoyed watching him having the time of his life.

 



 

{five}

We just got Lucas' One Year photos from our photographer and they are to die for.  They encapsulate his personality to a tee, the silly looks, the adorable smile, the playful stares, and his infectious laughter.  I'm so glad that I decided to do a smash cake for the session cause I ended up with this gem that honestly says it all!

 



 

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend, I will be spending it with all my dear ones celebrating the little man who gave my life more purpose and has my house a home filled with love, laughter, and family.  And be sure to check back Monday for some big news!! 

Five on Friday

 

 This has been quite the week in the Baccega household.  I'm hoping for a fun and at least a little more relaxing weekend ahead.  So without further ado.

{one}
Lucas has unfortunately inherited my sensitive skin and propensity for eczema and with the changing of the weather he has had a few flair ups lately, especially since he sweats a lot. It usually attacks him on the shoulders, neck and back where he sweats the most. With that being said I find the Aveeno cream is amazing! It literally clears up the rash within 24 hours and it has such a cooling effect on his poor skin. I use Aveeno products for all of Lucas' skin needs due to his sensitive skin, they are pricey but we'll worth it.

{two}
Monday Lucas and I spent the day at my in laws and the little guy got into his usual shenanigans there. This kid loves the outdoors and my in laws have a great backyard that Lucas just loves to tear apart, add the fact that he is allowed to get into anything, he always has a great time. This week him and his nonno were two peas in a pod, playing in sand, riding a makeshift cart and sharing lunch together. My mother in law was in heaven too since Lucas added nonna to his vocabulary this week.

 

{three}
The hubby worked really late Tuesday so I single mothered it all day, which honestly would be fine, if Lucas hadn't decided to pick that day to be in an awful mood.  He was on the cranky side in the morning so I thought after a good nap he would be a little sunnier, yeah not so much.  We went to the park in the sweltering heat because I knew Lucas would be entertained and when I got back I'm not going to lie I was looking forward to a nice cold drink and ten minutes to myself while Lucas had his afternoon nap.  Yeah fooled again.  He refused to nap, threw a fit, and then was all smiles as long as I was by his side; can't really argue with his logic.  After dinner and a long walk around the neighbourhood, dude rocked bedtime routine, and I finally had a few hours to myself.  No wine in the house so I grabbed a beer, some popcorn, threw in Downtown Abbey, and scrapbooked.  All in all not a bad way to end the evening.

{four}
Lucas started Thursday a Fun for Ones program at our local Ontario Early Years Center.  We have been doing programs there since Lucas was about 4 months, and we both enjoy the atmosphere and the people.  This week they focused on sensory games, such as play dough, the sand box, and crafts.  Lucas loved it so much, and was quite good at sharing with the other children.  He's a very social child, and when someone new would walk in he would make a bee line for them to say hello.  I enjoy meeting and talking to other moms as well, I think the programs are such a great way for children to interact, buts its great for us moms to have adult conversations as well.

{five}
I will end with this picture from this week of my little man.  That smile slays me every time.  When I see that face, and the sheer joy and happiness this child has its a constant reminder especially in bad days that I'm doing a good job as his mother.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Liebster Award

I'm so honoured to have been nominated for this award by a fellow new mommy blogger  Madison.  It is an award for new and up and coming blogs with less than 200 followers, it is a great way to meet new people, and to help increase your activity in the blogger world. 

The Rules:

 

1. Link back to the person that nominated you.

2. Answer the 11 questions asked by the nominator.

3. Choose 11 bloggers, each under 200 followers an nominate them for the award.

4. Come up with 11 questions for your nominees to answer.

5. Contact your nominees and notify them of your nomination.

 

Madison asked the following:

 

1. If you could be a Disney princess, which one would you be and why?

I think it would probably be Belle just because I identify with her personality the most, she loves books, and has a big heart.  I like to believe that I see the good in people for who they are and not how they want to be perceived.

 

2. What/who are you most thankful for, today?

My husband, hands down.  Today is a Sunday and we went to a wedding last night, and he woke up after a few hours of sleep to work extra hours just to be able to provide for our family, and I am so grateful for all the extras that he does for me and our child.  No words can describe the wonderful man he is.

 

3. What is something that is on your bucket list?

A big family trip to Portugal.  I lived in Portugal for 8 years growing up, and it was one of the most fantastic experiences in my life.  I have not been back since we moved back to Canada, and I would love to pack my little family and visit the motherland with our extended families, on one big vacation love fest.  I am actually starting a secret little fund on the side in hopes of making this a reality in the future.

 

4. What is something that happened to you, in the past, that still makes you laugh when thinking about it?

There are so many I can think of but this one episode comes to mind only cause I was actually telling this story to someone recently.  So you know when you are still in that new stage in a relationship and you don't want to break this aura that you are perfection to your mate, yeah well that was thrown out the window when the hubby and I went on our first weekend getaway.  We drove into Niagara Falls, and decided to hit up the buffet at the casino to save some extra cash for the rest of the weekend, well I guess something didn't agree with me, and on our way to the next casino, lets just say I almost didn't make it to the facilities.  Oh the horror, Gianni kept checking on me, and I was just so horrified, especially later that night when at the hotel I realized just how closely everything was, well lets just say the mystery was gone after that weekend, and he still loved me! lol

 

5. What is your greatest accomplishment thus far?

Being a mother.  It is by far the hardest job I have ever had, but the most rewarding.  Its true that when people say if you find something that you love to do it won't be work.  There are hard days, but I love every second I'm not going to lie.

 

6. What is your greatest moment in your life?

Obviously having Lucas was beyond an amazing moment, and holding his little body was just pure heaven, but the truth is finding out I was pregnant was probably the greatest moment.  After battling infertility and not know if and when we would be able to conceive, finding out that it had happened for us, and knowing that we were going to have our family, there are just no words for that moment.

 

7. What is your favorite blog post? Link to it so we can all read!

This post about how the hubby and I decided that we would definitely be having more children.  After believing so long that one child was in our plan, it was so special and organic how that all changed.

 

8. Who is your favorite blogger?

Oh I really cannot answer that, there are so many lovely mama bloggers out there that I read on a daily basis and so many more I find everyday like the lovely Madison.

 

9. What does a perfect day look like, to you?

Wow this is a loaded question.  I guess a perfect day would be one on the weekend when the hubby is home, and we get a chance to enjoy a family activity together, and Lucas is in a good mood (which as long as we are outside means he is), and capping the day off with some wine and snuggles with my love after the little guy is down for the night.

 

10. Besides blogging, what is your favorite pastime?

Reading!  Anyone who knows me knows that I have a bit of an obsession when it comes to books.

 

11. What is your favorite childhood memory?

Growing up in Europe my parents used to pack us all in the car on Saturday mornings and we would go on all day excursions often with no plan at all.  Sometimes we would end up at the beach, other times a hole in the wall restaurant nestled in some remote town.  By far those memories are my favourite, and I often look back on them with a huge smile on my face.

 

 

My nominees:

 

Kristal at Mama at Home

Marta at Petit Raisin

Vanessa at Sunflower State of Mind

Marissa at Our Little Family

  

 

My questions:

1.What is your favourite mommy time activity?

2.What does your morning routine look like?

3. What is your favourite book?

4. What are you most looking forward to this year?

5.What is your favourite season?

6. Favourite blog post (add link so we can all read it)?

7. What is your favourite vacation destination?

8. What is your greatest accomplishment in life thus far?

9. Are you done having children, or are more in your future?

10.If you could meet anyone in history who would it be and why?

11. Name your favourite children's book.

 

There is no obligation for any nominees to answer these, I simply want to let you all know that I have you found in this great big social media world, and in some way or another I have found inspiration from all of you, and its nice to see and read about how we are all just learning daily how to raise our children to be amazing little humans. 

 

Wordless Wednesday - Adventures at the Park

Lucas has really been enjoying the park more lately, and seeing him just explore and have fun has made me enjoy more as a consequence.  We have so much fun lately that I lost track of time the other day and we were there for an hour!

My kid is fearless though.  Like most children he has no sense of danger, and sometimes he gives me mild heart attacks with his climbing antics.  Growing up in a family of all girls who were not afraid to get dirty and rough it up with our boy cousins, I thought maybe I was maybe prepared for the adventures of being a boy mom.  Yeah, not really.  Boys have boundless energy and seem magnets for all things dirty and dangerous, and I know this is just the beginning.  If the stories my mother in law tells me about my husband when he was a kid is any indication of what is to come, I may be spending many evenings unwinding over advil and countless glasses of wine.

 

All in all I do love it, he helps me see the world differently, and for someone who is by nature a little more cautious, maybe I will just learn to teeter the wild side a little more.

 

{Recipe} Easy Red Curry Chicken

The weather has been a little crispier this week so I was craving some comfort food, a stew for sure.  Behold this super easy curry dish. 

I sautéed one onion, threw in chicken chunks, and added salt, pepper, about 3 tablespoons of red curry, and a little of garlic powder.  Once the chicken was half done, I added a can of whole marzano tomatoes with the sauce, and just let them slowly break down with the stew, and a whole can of coconut milk.  I let this simmer until I knew the chicken was done, and added a bunch of fresh parsley right at the end, basil would probably work really well too.

I served on a bed of white rice cooked with a little butter and steamed rappini, I didn't add the rappini in the stew in fear that the bitterness would ruin the sauce.

I actually made this earlier in the day, so it was easy to just give it a little reheat at dinner and that way we had more time to enjoy some family fun. 

Enjoy!

Five on Friday

{one}
We made a batch of homemade tomato sauce this weekend with the left overs from my father in law's garden.  He has THE best tomatoes, they are so meaty and sweet, and I practically live on tomato salad during the summer.  We usually put in some carrots while the tomatoes are simmering to help sweeten the sauce, and lord did it smell amazing in the house this weekend.  So of course pasta was on the menu for dinner, and Lucas is definitely living up to his heritage cause he adored it.

{two}
What happens when you are driving and your pre-teen sister gets a hold of your phone...you find the following madness and silliness later that day.

Gyselle has always had a tendency once she learned how to use camera phones to leave her mark shall we say, and I always find random photos when I visit her, and sentimental as I am I cannot delete them, even when she used to photograph close ups of furniture and stuffed animals.  God I love that kid.

{three}
Speaking of that amazing kid she started Grade four this week, and I couldn't help getting a little teary eyed after leaving the school on Tuesday.  I have only missed one of her first days of school last year when I had a doctor's appointment for the little guy.  She started a new school this year, and I know that for a nine year old that has to be one of the scariest experiences, to have to jump into a new environment, and make new friends, meet a new teacher, especially since for all the vibrancy and fervor this child has, she can be pretty shy and insecure.

I don't say this only because she is my sister, but Gyselle is a very special little girl.  She understands more than people give her credit for, she is wise sometimes beyond her years, and she always knows just what to say to make any glum day a little brighter.  She is one of my favourite people, and I feel so blessed to have the relationship that I have with her.

{four}
This video I took on Sunday of my niece dancing has been on replay at my house all week.  I just love how she is not afraid to get down, kid has got some serious rhythm!

{five}
Its Pumpkin Spice Latte Time!!!!

Oh how I love the sweet smell of pumpkin brewing in the air.  I have waited all summer for these babies, and it did not disappoint at all.  I have no picture to share cause the drink did not last very long.  Now I know that this sort of addiction can literally break the bank, so I have a recipe for an easy pumpkin spice latte to make at home, that is honestly almost as good as the Starbucks version.  Bring on the Fall.

Hope everyone has a stellar weekend! 

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August Book Review

Some mixed reviews this month, plus from the selection you can get a sense of just how eclectic my reading tastes really are.

Entwined With You by Sylvia Day

This is the third novel in a series about the relationship between a man and woman with very troubled pasts who have an undeniable attraction.  This writer sure knows how to write some steamy stuff, even regular conversations between these two characters could almost make the pages singe with the heat they're creating.  I would have to label this as a semi-erotic novel, since the actual bedroom interactions (or those that happen often not in the bedroom, yup its that kind of novel) are detailed yes, but there is a lot more to the story than just the sexual chemistry between the two protagonists.  I am actually a lot more interested in the personal damages they have been through and the real discussion about child abuse that the author explores, and how people who have suffered those sort of situations deal with adult relationships later on in life.  Book 3 was a little fluffier than the other two as far as I'm concerned, but the author has already promised that their story is not over, so I'm looking forward to what more she has in store.

The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

I'm going to be honest I hadn't heard of this series until hype about the movie started flooding gossip sites and magazines.  I saw the trailer and was intrigued, so in true Sylvie fashion I sought out the novel first, and was pleasantly surprised by how much I seemed to be enjoying it.  The writing style is at times youthful, since it is categorized as a young adult fiction, and the pace at times was a little unnerving, but overall I found the characters engaging, and interesting.  It centers around a Shadow world of wolves, vampires and Shadowhunters (who are part Angel), and the main character has grown up not knowing she is actually part of this world, in a very fundamental way.  I actually saw the movie two weeks ago on a momentous date night, and despite mixed reviews really enjoyed it.

Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella

One year for my birthday a friend of mine gifted me with the first book in the Shopholic Series by Kinsella, and I fell in love from the first page.  The character was funny, intriguing, and empathetic enough to feel bad for her situation while still wanting to berate her for her choices.  Since then I have pretty much read anything else that Kinsella has published, I do that a lot with authors, I may stumble on something new once in a while, and then I spend weeks reading just that author.  To say I was disappointed with her latest efforts is putting it mildly.  I actually had a really hard time finishing it, and so many times I almost gave up, and I'm not going to lie, by the end I was skimming parts just to get to the climax and get it over with.  I detest when that happens with a book, cause first I still have to finish it I'm too much of a nerd not to, and second it takes away part of the enjoyment in relishing a new story.  The story is kind of time and true plot, girl is in love, wants to get married, boyfriend is a true male and doesn't get the clue, so she runs off and marries an ex boyfriend whose in the middle of a mid life crisis.   The story continues with the protagonist's sister trying her best to thwart her sister's wedding night so she can qualify for an annulment instead of a divorce.  Needless to say I may be questioning Kinsella when she publishes again, and rethink if I want to spend my precious reading time on her again.

I hope all you other mamas are making time for yourselves and just enjoying a good book every nap in a while hehe.

Wordless Wednesday - Home is Where the Heart is

This past weekend we celebrated my mom and grandfather's birthday at my parents house.  They have a pool and Lucas had such a great time with his aunt and little cousins!

 

The summer is always so busy for everyone and its hard to get together, most of everyone's birthdays are the end of the year, so the fall and winter are always jam packed with family gatherings with lots of laughter, food and love.  The "season" starts off always on the long weekend with this birthday party, and it was so nice to be with everyone, and having Lucas this year was extra fun for me.

 



 

 

 

 

 

Can't wait for all the fun to start, next up Lucas' Birthday yikes!!

Back to School Gift

My little sister Gyselle starts Grade 4 today (cannot believe it!), at a new school, and every year I always get her a back to school gift.  Obviously my mom takes care of all her back to school essentials so I like to put together something fun for her. 

This year she got a basket with fun pens and pencils, books cause she loves them as much as I do, a cute little vase and picture of her and Lucas for her room, funs socks and underwear cause they are essential, and a tons of school safe snacks.

 

I love putting gifts like this together, cause I find it so much more personal when you can add a ton of things that you know the other person will enjoy, and its like getting a several gifts in one.  She loved everything cause "I know her style" as she likes to say.

 

I topped the whole gift with an encouraging little note, since I find it important when I feel that children today seem to battle so many self esteem issues, cause they are always trying to be someone they are not.  Gyselle is a beautiful, and bright nine year old, with so much vibrancy, and I would hate to see any of that dulled because another child makes her feel somehow less worthy. 

 



I hope everyone else is enjoying seeing their little ones off to school, and Happy September!

Lucas is 11 Months!

 

 

Can someone please tell me how we got to this point so quickly!  I may need a large glass of wine just to get through this month.  I have found myself in the last few days watching my little guy, relishing in his sweet embrace and smell, holding him after a bottle a little longer, and just being with him as much as I can.  I just cannot grasp how a whole year is almost upon us.

 

Ok enough with the melodramatic mama, on to the details of the little man.

 

Lucas has made a huge change this month, and he is almost officially a toddler it feels.  He walks like a champ now, although I swear he is dying to run, and I'm just ready for that quite yet, but like with most things, the little guy waits for no one.  When Lucas first started walking he used to hate wearing shoes, and we let him walk bare foot a lot, which is actually supposed to help them get a better footing (no pun intended).  Now he still hates being constricted by foot wear, but its obviously a necessity and he lives with it. 

 

His new found independence just keeps growing and growing, and he is quite the adventurous little guy.   He has started to enjoy climbing things, and he is really quite fearless, and completely unawares of his strength or capacity.  It has caused a few bumps and bruises along the way, as there is only so much I can prevent sometimes, but he usually bounces back fairly quickly, and takes it like a man, as his father likes to point out.  Park dates are quite the adventure now, and he simply does not want to just swing around anymore.  He has learned to push himself down the slide, much to his delight, and often attempts to climb back up (as a shake my head and grab him).  He usually runs around now, and tries to climb anything as much as possible, and often I need a nap just as much as he does afterwards, but I refrain...sometimes lol.

 



 

 

Lucas is quite the little social bug.  He loves to smile to people, and now that he understands to say hello and goodbye without prompting, he spends his time just waving to people at the grocery store, the mall, and the park.  He will go up to just anyone as long as you give him a smile, but the moment a stranger reaches for him he will shy and walk away, which I'm quite glad about, since at first I thought he was a little too easily taken with strangers.  He certainly likes the ladies, and will often approach them quicker than a man, and has often been startled by overly friendly male strangers.  He adores other children, and plays with them very well at his play groups, unless another child is upset and starts crying or screaming, its startles him to no end, and I find myself having to remove him from the situation, but once he's calmed down, he will approach the child again with everything forgotten. 

 



 

Lucas has started to show a more sillier side of himself, especially now that he is understanding more and more the concept of playing.  He will hide behind the kitchen island, or a chair and then come out and surprise you.  He loves to imitate sounds, and often makes sighing or high pitched noises only to start giggling with himself.  He started playing more with some of his toys as well, and really enjoys his cars, and can sometimes make a vroom vroom sound.  He adores the outdoors, and is seriously content just playing with the dirt and rocks, he has been helping dig up the garden and loves to feel different textures.  He still really enjoys books and being read to, although now he has taken an interest in grabbing books and looking through them all on his own.  He can identify the mama and the baby in the popular Robert Munch book "I'll love you forever", and can point out some animals in select stories.  I am starting a plan to introduce and teach colours, shapes, and then letters, and I will be sure to let everyone know how that goes.

 



 

Lucas still has no problem eating anything, although he has a dislike for zucchini now, and has he has been rejecting any pureed fruit cups.  He prefers to self feed, and at times will take the spoon from my hand and feed himself, its a messy situation but overall he doesn't do a bad job.   We introduced one bottle of milk at the end of this month, as Lucas was starting to reject his formula, as I have said before I really want to devote a post to how this process has gone for us.  His favourite foods right now are still chicken, grapes, and pretty much any fruits.  He tried tomatoes this month, and at first it didn't go down that well, but now he seems a little more keen.  His favourite breakfast item has to be omelettes, and he will eat a whole egg omelette no problem!  He prefers to drink during the day with a straw sippy cup, but if he sees us drinking from a bottle or a glass he makes a bee line for us and wants to partake.  I try to drink anything during the day that he can't share for that exact reason. 

 

Sleep is still great, I don't think I have had a complaint in this department since we slept trained him.  We had pondered moving Lucas to one nap since he had a week there where he was resisting his morning naps, and then it would only last half an hour.  He started waking pretty early again, so switching to one nap was just not a good idea.  We have a few things lined up for the fall that all run in the mornings, so my plan is to start a one nap regimen next week, Lord give me patience and lots of coffee cause I'm sure its going to be dicey. 

 



 

Little man is wearing 12 to 18 month clothing, and in some brands can fit in 24 month clothes, but mostly shirts and sweaters.  He is still pretty much tall and lean, and he actually outgrew some shoes this month, which is just a foreshadowing of how quickly he's going to be outgrowing things in the years to come.  

I really can't describe what a great month we have had, and how much more in love I am with this little guy every day!