yes, we're still alive.

Friends.  I'm sorry for the lack of posts in the past month.  Don't be mad, okay?  We've been busy and I promise to catch you up soon, just be patient!

I promise I'll give you the pictures and stories from Lucas's first Christmas and a little taste of southern snow and all of the other shenanigans that have been going on around here.  I do have good excuses for my absence...between Lucas cruising around here like a maniac and trying to cut a mouthful of teeth and us trying to get our house ready to put on the market and buying a new house, it's been chaos.  And yes, I said we are moving.  What?!?!  Surprise!  We're staying around here, don't worry.  Like I said, be patient and I'll fill you in when I have a second to breathe.

I'll probably back date the posts since this old blog is serving as a scrapbook type thing for our little family, so don't be confused if December posts start to pop up.  Thanks for understanding, y'all :)

what happens at nana and poppy's...

Lucas and I spent a few days in Asheville while Brandon was at a conference with the students from church.  Some of these pictures are a repeat from his 10 month post but they were too cute not to share again!

a day at the park

reading with Poppy

Lucas had a fever one night we were there. He was pitiful, but extra snuggly.

Poppy has a remote control helicopter that Lucas is fascinated by

and only at Nana and Poppy's house can you play in the closet butt naked and take books off of the shelf and throw them on the floor...

bang bang bang on the piano!

chewing on anything hard and cold.  

We love you, Nana and Poppy!!!

snow!

We had a small dusting of snow that lasted for about 12 hours.  But Lucas saw it!  So officially it was his first snow.  We were out eating dinner and it was pouring rain.  Then all of a sudden, the pouring rain changed to pouring snow!  I took Lucas outside and he was looking up at the sky blinking his eyes quickly as the snowflakes were hitting them.

Then once we got home, he loved watching the snow fall on the back porch.

What a treat to have a little bit of snow in the south.  We'd love one more big one so we can play in it!

10 months

Double digits.  Whew.  Don't panic.

Lucas is crazy fun, crazy cute, and crazy crazy.  He is a boy on the move and is so expressive when he gets excited or thinks something is funny.  He is determined...which honestly is a nice way to say he's a bit hard-headed.  I wonder where he got that?  If he wants something, he goes after it full steam ahead.

He has learned how to shake his head "no" when we tell him "no-no" and it is the cutest thing in the world.  I do think that he knows what "no" means too...because he takes pieces of food that he should be eating in his chubby little fingers and looks at us, then leans down out of his high chair and feeds it to Lexi, all the while mischievously grinning and shaking his head "no" back and forth.  How do you fuss at him for feeding his lunch to the dog when he's doing that?!  Too cute, I tell you.  Also, he has mastered the wave.  He waves bye-bye and sometimes will say his own version of "bye-bye" sounding more like "ba ba! ba ba!"  And he moves his little hand up and down at the wrist, waving to everyone who will look at him.  Other than that, his words seem to still just be ma-ma and da-da that are used in the correct context, and the rest of the conversations he has with us make perfect sense to him, just not to anyone else.

From our little scale at home he's about 21 pounds. He seems to be getting tall quickly, and slimming down as he grows.

And an update from last month, his teeth...We still have a snaggle tooth.

The other 3 front ones still aren't in.  And it's really sad because I know they are hurting him.  He hasn't been eating well in the past week or so, and I think the teeth are to blame. Any day now.  Come on teeth!  Another update from last month, little man has figured out how to sit down.  Hallelujah.  So now he's up! and down! and standing! and crawling! and cruising!

Lucas loves going on adventures with us. He loves the grocery store and Lowes.  He's quite distracting though, flirting with everyone that goes by.  

He has learned how to climb stairs so our baby gate has made it's debut.

Before the teeth issue, he was a great eater.  He would down a grilled cheese sandwich no problemo.  And he loves eating independently. He likes peas, carrots, yogurt, oatmeal, pancakes, cheese anything, goldfish, and juice in a sippy cup.

He's pretty obvious when he's taking care of business, if you know what I mean...

this was in chick-fil-a...and people were watching. love this kid.

Lucas loves bath time!  He gets so excited and splashes and chews on the wash cloth.

And he is learning lots from his big sister.  Like crawling in her crate.

And crawling around with things in his mouth...?

He loves to play! 

And he loves to bang on anything. The piano is especially fun.

And yes, he loves being naked.

Little boy, you are too much.  You are charming and funny and adorably sweet. We love you to the moon and back.