Spotlight on: Lukey Loo Loo

My friend Cindy (Happy Birthday, dude!) requested a little focus on Luke, my precious little stinker of a 1 year old. It's true that I haven't shared nearly the volume of info on the boy, largely because he's so active (and we're so busy) that it's tough to find the time to grab the camera or sit down to type. But in the past couple of months, I feel like he has matured somewhat past "aimless toddler" into the "almost two year old." So I'm desperate to capture a view of him before he changes too much.

I notice that most toddler boys seemed to be obsessed with either cars or balls. They might enjoy playing with all of the above, but one of those two is their true love. Luke seems to have followed in his brother's footsteps: he's a car boy. He will be outside playing and suddenly go sprinting into the house and make a beeline for the car box, rooting around like he's on a mission. He'll find the vehicle he was picturing in that little mind of his, then return quickly to his playspot outside. He'll run that vehicle around and around, making what Katy calls "really good car sounds." His newest discovery is airplanes. Whenever one flies overhead, he'll point to the sky and say, pretty clearly, "oh-fwayne, oh-fwayne" and when you say, yes, there's an airplane, he says, "high? high? high?" until you say yes, it's up high.

His other love-of-the-moment is Spiderman, which is 100% the influence of his brother. David has a Spiderman dress-up costume, and awhile back we discovered that if we put on the mask and chase Luke around, he squeals and screams like he can't decide if he's more scared or thrilled. Sometimes he even brings you the mask and shoves it at you, like, "Chase me!" He has a pair of Spiderman jammies, and he gets excited whenever he sees the hero's face, saying "pie-ah-mah"or something of the sort.

He's constantly on the move, and doesn't sit still long enough to watch any TV at all. (I thought that by this age my other 2 would sit for 10-20 minutes? I might remember that incorrectly.) Katy said to me today, "Maybe I could start trying not to be scared of Sesame Street anymore, because Luke might like that show." We haven't watched Sesame Street in this house for 4 years, my eldest is so scared of it. Darn Count. Luke loves to be outside as much as possible, and if the other 2 are out there, he's clung to the door begging me to let him out like a dog. Of course if he's outside, I have to be right next to him, because he cannot be trusted. He's getting much better though- he knows not to run into the street, and he will hold my hand in public because he knows the other option is to be carried (which he does NOT want).

He wants to do EVERYTHING the older kids do. You can't get away with changing things for him because he's little. Slice his banana? Throws a fit. Carry him through the parking lot? Fit. Lay him on the changing table? MAJOR FIT. He's at least 3, he's CONVINCED of it.

Helping Katy and David get ready for "crazy hair night" at AWANA (church)

His language is developing, although it would be nice if he could tell us what he wants. Several times a day, he is gesturing toward something that he wants, I don't know what it is, and he's screaming and in tears over it. *sigh* But he's very good at repeating what we say. Just today Katy said, "Luke is a copy baby," and he said "copy baby."

I feel sheepish to admit that he still takes a bottle at bedtime. But it's because he LOVES it. He can be playing contentedly around bedtime, and if I walk into the room with a warm bottle? He stands up, tells everyone in the room, "Nigh-nigh!" and heads toward the stairs. Then he lays on the changing table quietly drinking while I get him changed, and then he lays on my lap in the rocking chair to finish it. It's the only snuggle I get, and I'm not worried about it. I remember with Katy that I got her to give it up by 15 months because the pediatrician said I should. Oh, well.

He still wakes up at night sometimes, standing in his crib and crying. But it isn't overly disruptive, because all I have to do is go in, pick him up, he collapses on my shoulder and I rock him for about a minute and then lay him back down. He's still awake, but it's as if he's scared and just needs to feel safe or something.

He drools a TON. Soaks several shirts per day. I kept thinking it was teething, but it's been months and months, so I'm guessing it's just an issue we'll have to work on.

He's happy and sweet much of the time (except when he has something in mind that he wants, and he's not getting it :). He gives kisses and has even started saying "date doo" without being prompted. We all love our Lukey Loo, and probably baby him a bit too much. (Aunt Mel says we act as if he can do no wrong, especially in sibling squabbles.) We're so glad he's our boy.