11 Months and Weekend Happenings

Listening and dancing to the music (bedhead and all!)

11 months! Lately, we have found ourselves talking about what we were doing year ago in August. "One year ago, I was feeling tired, anxious, overwhelmed, excited... " "One year ago, I couldn't have imagined that the baby in my stomach would be walking." "One year ago, we went to bed every night wondering if 'tonight is the night'." And today the feelings are so different. Mckenna is such a blessing and we are so proud to be her parents.

At 11 months Mckenna is: walking, climbing, saying "mom, mom, mom,mom", "dadadada", "hi", sometimes "papa", making mumbling sentences, eating with her fingers and sometimes a spoon, and is working on stacking blocks (getting closer everyday). She still only has two teeth on the bottom. She loves to read. Many times we will find her sitting on the floor, paging through a book and mumbling. She loves to dance! It is so cute to watch her nod her head up and down or twirl around to the beat of the music. Matt loves to have "dance parties" with her. Mckenna's favorite fruit is still by far the mandarin oranges but this month she started to eat plumbs, nectarines and bananas! She doesn't eat too many veggies but she will eat carrots and sweet potatoes. She still loves pizza!

This weekend Mckenna, Charlene and I brought a new dog, Mickey Finn, to it's new home at Great Grandma Lucas's house. Her old dog, Lucky, was put down a couple of weeks ago and she was wanting a new companion. Charlene rescued Mickey from the Humane Society for her. Great Grandma Lucas was sold when she saw how good Mickey was with Mckenna. He really is a good dog!

Mckenna wanted out, Mickey wanted in! 

Mckenna got some hang time in with...

Great Grandma Lucas

Grandma Lucas

Aunt Kelly

We had a good weekend, as we do most weekends! The house is up on the market, AGAIN. Hopefully this Realtor will sell our house.She seems motivated and seems like she is ready to sell!

We hope you take a moment this week to listen to the music and enjoy life like Mckenna does!

Love from the Lucas's!

Little Miss Independent!

I stole this video from Charlene's camera. There are a couple more that I want to share but didn't get the chance to upload them last night. I will do so and post them by the end of the weekend. This just shows you how independent she has gotten. It is amazing the changes she has gone through since April! In April she couldn't even crawl!



Love from the Lucas's!

So Really... Where have we been?

My goodness! I can't believe so much time has passed since my last post. I think this was the longest lull since I created the blog! I hope I didn't loose all my followers! Obviously, we have been busy. I guess far too busy for the blogging world. Since the last time I wrote we have been to Iowa and school has started for me!

Iowa

We had such a nice time in Iowa. It was our version of a family vacation! We spent four days and we wanted to stay for more! Saturday, the women (Mom, Laura, Brooke, Mckenna, and I) went to the Farmer's Market downtown Des Moines. I love the Farmer's market! We are not fresh produce people, although I would like to be, so I don't go for the produce! I love the sights, smells and sounds of the Farmer's Market. I brought my camera to take some pictures but it was SO busy and I didn't get a chance to document our visit! After the Farmer's Market we all headed out to the Lake. Mckenna did some swimming in the purple pool Papa Ken bought for her (and Brooke) and some napping. The rest of the time was spent soaking up some rays, visiting the beach and boating! Here are some pictures to highlight the weekend.

Swimming in the pool! 

Auntie Lala and Cousin Brooke

It was a scorcher and Mckenna did a little hanging out in the diaper!

Swinging with Papa Ken and Grandma Neanie

Tasting Grass

Climbing Hills with Papa Ken

Riding in the boat!

 Playing in the sand!

I seriously took over 100 pictures that weekend! I couldn't believe it when I was downloading them onto the computer! Needless to say I could have posted a TON more but I am sure I have lost your interest already! :)

School is good! Mckenna is still adjusting to Mommy going to work. Most mornings I have to carry her around the house because she won't let me put her down before it is time to go! We have established a morning routine that I cherish everyday! I wake Matt and Mckenna up. I get Mckenna dressed. We hang out and read books or pack lunches until daddy is ready. When Matt is ready to go I walk them out to the car and strap Mckenna in then I give smooches to both and they are on their way!

One last family picture to wrap this LONG post up!

Ok... Maybe one more!

Love from the Lucas's!

Remodel in the Lucas House

I am in love with....

Mckenna, of course! 

But really, we had a little remodel go on in our living room last week and I am in love with it! Here are a couple of pictures of it in progress...

And this is how it looks now....

It looks so nice! It really brightens up the room. I also rearranged the furniture this weekend and it looks like a whole new living room! I am in LOVE! 

Not much to report about this weekend. Saturday we did multiple things around the house and Sunday Matt went to a Cardinals game. Mckenna is sprouting her second bottom tooth and is investigating everything around her. It is so much fun to watch her learn how to do things. Tonight Matt and I were eating at the table and she was walking around playing. She figured out that if she went over the bottom rung of the front of the chair she could get to the middle. Once she got to the middle of the chair she figured out she had to go under the rung on the other side to get out. HOW SMART. Maybe my description doesn't really do this ingenious trick justice but we were both very surprised to see her get out without crying for help! Well, that is all for tonight. I had a workshop today and my brain is mush. I will leave you with a couple of pictures of Mckenna in her favorite spot, in front of the NEW window! 

And yes, for all of you worry warts, Mckenna is only on the window sill with adult supervision. She can't get up there on her own! :) I know you all too well! 

Love from the Lucas's!

10 Months!

I know she is a bit cross-eyed but I couldn't get her to give me a good smile!

Happy 10 month birthday to my little girl! I can't believe that it has been 10 months already. When I said something to Matt today he said "a year ago today, even though we were 2 months away from having her, I was so anxious to have her." and I agree! Many times when I think about Mckenna I think about the time we have had her to hold, hug, and kiss. I forget about the time when she was in my tummy! I actually think this time last year I was putting things away from the wonderful shower Charlene and Kelly had for me! :)

Well, in 10 months Mckenna has learned to... roll, crawl, climb, bend over, squat down, wave, clap, say 'dada' and 'mama' and 'hi', play with toys, play with the puppies, get almost anything she wants from her daddy, tell me in her own way when she is hungry or tired... oh and so much more... I know I am missing a ton of things! I really have no clue how much she weighs or how much taller she has gotten. I do know she is still wearing 6-9 months and 9 months clothing. She does wear 12 month p.j's because she is getting longer. Now that she is walking almost 100% of the time I can dress her up in her cute dresses and I.love.it!!!!! Her hair is growing so much. It is nice and filled in and is creeping down her neck! (see the picture below!)

We are so proud of everything she can do! As always we are saying "we love this stage", so I guess that tells us that we are LOVING parenthood!

Love from the Lucas's!

A Weekend Apart

Last weekend Matt and I packed up and went to Kansas City. Matt was an usher in a college friend's wedding. We stayed downtown Kansas City and enjoyed the West Port area as well as the Power and Lights district. The wedding was beautiful and we had a lot of fun.

 

While we were gone Mckenna stayed with Grandpa and Grandma Lucas. They had a very eventful weekend. Grocery shopping, garage sales, and Incredible Pizza with Aunt Kelly and her boyfriend Brian. Mckenna had a good time and she has been sleeping A LOT to recover from the busy weekend. 

Just Call Me a Toddler!

Well, it is official, Mckenna is a walker. Does that make her a toddler? She doesn't spend her time crawling around anymore, she walks!

Mckenna is also into EVERYTHING! The drawers, the refrigerator anything she can get to! I know, this is all part of walking. I don't really find it a burden (yet), I really think it is cute! So here are a few things she has been up to! 

She is also starting to climb. A trick she picked up from her friend Addison a couple of weekends ago.

She did some light reading with Dillan this week. Five Little Monkeys Jumpin on the Bed!

 And some hanging out with Daddy!

 Mckenna has one tooth! It is her front, bottom right! I think she is working on the front, left tooth now because as I type this I can hear the little squeak of her chewing on something! :) We are still having so much fun at home together. I have three more weeks left until school starts again. :( I am thinking I am going to have some Mommy withdrawal when I have to go back!

Love from the Lucas's!