Luke-- One Year Old!

Luke turned one year old on January 7th! It's fun to think about how much he has grown this year and how it wasn't all that long ago that I was in the hospital giving birth. Luke is continuing to grow and learn new skills each month.

Luke now has 7 teeth, 4 on the top and three on the bottom. I keep waiting for his other front bottom tooth to come in to even things out!
Luke can eat pretty much whatever we are eating now, cut up in small bits. He really loves peas, yogurt, chicken nuggets, and deli meat. He doesn't seem to like very many grains yet-- he picks his way around tortillas, bread, and noodles. So he still gets his baby oatmeal mixed in with pureed fruits and veggies to balance that out. I guess he thinks he should be on a low-carb diet!
Luke has been practicing going up and down the bottom three stairs for several months. We came home from our Heber City vacation and he headed right for the stairs and climbed straight to the top! He also backed his way down the stairs too! I'm still amazed, he hasn't fallen yet. When he wants to go downstairs, he gets right into position to climb down on his tummy. I guess all of his practice paid off. It's been so incredibly nice to not have to worry about baby gates!
Luke is getting increasingly active and wiggly in church. He is no longer content to sit on our laps for three hours. If Kevin puts him down on the floor to play, he crawls off in a flash. It's crazy to think that Luke will be going to nursery this summer! I'm sure he'll have much more fun there than sitting in Sunday School. But maybe he'll miss jabbering in the microphone while Kevin is trying to conduct in Elder's Quorum.
When Luke gets tired, he starts to rub his eyes and pull at his ears and hair. He seems relieved to snuggle his blankie by his face when he goes down for a nap.
Of course, he also loves pulling other people's hair as well. Mine is a favorite, but he especially seems to enjoy bugging Violet while she's getting her diaper changed. He must think it's his opportunity for payback!
Luke has been very interesting in drawers and doors. He has his favorite kitchen drawers to empty and frequently unload the dishtowels, kid bowls, and kitchen sponges on the floor. He likes to grab a dry sponge and crawl around rubbing it on the floor-- I guess he thinks I don't do enough mopping! (and he's probably right). Pie pans are another loud favorite. If the dishwasher is open, he heads straight for the silverware bin. He'll sometimes close himself into a dark closet and have to shriek for help.
Luke has started to stand by himself for short periods of time-- not steps yet though! He picked up on using his little walked pretty fast and it's a favorite play toy now.
Luke loves his bathtime, but has begun to push the limits by wanting to stand up in the bathtub and try to crawl out. Good thing he's easily distracted!
Luke says mama, (ba)nana, and ut-oh. Ut-oh is a particular favorite when dropping Cheerios on the floor from his highchair.

Luke loves peekaboo and with play with his hands or a bib or a blanket. He is eager to clap for himself, and considers us telling him 'good job' his cue. It's cute to see him so excited!


Happy Birthday Luke!