Lukie Bear,
It’s hard for me to believe that our first year together is complete. It felt like such a fast year. It was certainly a year full of great grace as our little family adjusted to a new normal and your daddy and I started figuring out how to be parents. All glory, praise, and thanks go to our Father for sustaining us through this first year. He was ever faithful to bring us through the challenges and abundantly kind to allow us so much joy in the journey.
When I look back, I’m amazed at how far you’ve come.
After you were born, we called you our little “burrito baby” because you were swaddled so often. You were powerless to do anything but sleep, cry, eat, pee, and poop. Now, you’re our “wild man,” ALWAYS on the move! You love to crawl and climb. You love an obstacle like stairs. You’re not too interested in walking yet, but you are definitely strong enough when you finally decide you’re ready. You love to “cruise” with your motorcycle from Doc and J.
When you were born, you weighed 7lbs, 9 oz. and were 21 1/2 inches long. A year later, you weigh in at 19 lb, 10 0z (10th percentile) and are 30 1/4 inches long (50-75th percentile). You’re definitely not the biggest kid on the block {as your pediatrician says}, but it’s amazing to look back and see how much you’ve grown and changed in a year. We are so thankful for a healthy, growing boy.
We’re a little surprised that you’re not bigger than you are because you’re eating us out of house and home. I can’t even imagine what our grocery bill will be like during your teen years. You’ve pretty much transitioned to all adult/finger foods. You are not picky, and that makes a mama happy. Some of your favorite foods are fruit {any and every kind but especially bananas and blueberries}, green beans, squash and zucchini, pasta, bread, and black beans. The only thing that I just can’t get you to eat is meat. I often hide turkey and ham inside penne pasta and between bread and cheese to get you to eat it. It’s amazing to think that 12 short months ago, you only needed milk to sustain you.
Speaking of milk, you were officially weaned around 11 1/2 months! After a year of pretty much never taking a bottle, THIS WAS A MAJOR!!!!! The weaning process started out a little rough. When we cut down from four feedings a day to two, you were not too happy. You pitched some fits and threw your sippy cup away, etc. It was hard for a brief time, but I was determined that we were going to have you weaned by 1. After a few days, I think you accepted the fact that you were saying goodbye to nursing. Surprisingly, it was very easy to drop the other two feedings (morning and night). One night, you just didn’t try to nurse. So, I read you a story and put you in your crib without initiating it. You did fine, and I had a {very brief} moment of sadness that we ended it so abruptly. All in all, the process was pretty smooth. It has taken you several weeks to adjust to whole milk. You refused it for at least 2 weeks, but I was persistent in offering it, and you’ve finally warmed up and started drinking it pretty well.
You are spirited and full of personality. You love to laugh and be silly. You have the most vivid facial expression. In all these ways, you remind me of your daddy. You love for us to chase you and tickle you and play with you. Yo do some “furious playing” as Doc-Doc says. You are a busy, busy boy. Favorite things to do are pushing trucks {particularly your Tonka truck}, cruising with your motorcycle, throwing your ball, and looking through your books. You also LOVE watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse when Mama gets desperate.
You are strong-willed, and you are already testing the waters! You most definitely understand what “NO” means, but you don’t always obey. You test me most during meal-time by throwing your food and your cup {sometimes just to see what I’ll do about it}. You’ve already had to have some mild “discipline.” It’s not fun for either of us, but it is an act of necessity and love. We believe that if you learn the importance of obeying Mama and Daddy, it will be much easier for you to learn to obey and accept the authority of your heavenly Father.
You love to talk. Most of your sounds are just babbling, but we’ve heard you say, Ma-Ma, Da-Da, Duck {your favorite animal}, Doc, Bye-Bye {die-die}, na-na, and ba-ba at times throughout the month.
You are such a loving child, especially with me. In this first year of your life, we have not been apart for more than a few hours at a time, and I feel like we have grown such a close bond. You sort of replaced weaning with {brief} snuggling. Right before I put you to bed and right after I get you up, you love to put your head down on my shoulder and suck your thumb. Sometimes we even rock for a few minutes before you’re ready to rumble. I treasure these times when I can cuddle and hug and kiss you. I know all too well that it won’t be like this for long.
I love seeing and hearing the signs of your active little life all over our home–little handprints smudged on the mirrors and glass door, squeals of delight and laughter during bath time with daddy, books scattered everywhere, toys strewn about. Every little shirt I stain treat and every BIG mess I pick up serves as a reminder that you are alive and very well. And for that I am so grateful.
Luke, we recognize that you belong to the Lord. Your days and your steps are in His hands. We have been give the awesome privilege of caring for you and shepherding your little heart for a season, and this brings us unbelievable joy. We pray for many, many more years together. But we also pray that we would always hold you with open hands and open hearts, gladly allowing the Lord to use your precious life for His purposes and His glory in whatever way He sees fit. Most of all, we pray that He would receive glory by bringing regenerative life to your little heart and giving you the gift of faith in Jesus.
Happy 1st birthday, my sweet boy. I hope you always know how much your Mama loves and cherishes you!
Gospel-Shaped Womanhood 