Life with the B's

Christmas in New York 2011 - Long Overdue

2012-02-11T12:45:00.000-05:00

Our girl at 36 weeks...

2012-02-08T11:25:00.000-05:00

Football Time in the Bluegrass?

2012-01-31T20:05:00.000-05:00

The weather has been unseasonably warm here this week (this month really!) so Luca and I took advantage and passed the football around the front yard yesterday. He has his football face and posing perfected.

UK vs. Alabama Game

2012-01-25T22:41:00.000-05:00

Luca wouldn't get near the Wildcat or Scratch for a picture but Ashlee wasn't scared!

My dancing boy!

"oh Mom, put your camera away!"

Jonathan, Luca and Reece (impossible to get a photo of all three looking at the camera!)

More Conversations

2012-01-25T22:29:00.000-05:00

On Baby Sister...

On the Colonels ...

Conversations with Luca

2012-01-22T14:34:00.001-05:00

On going to the UK Basketball game on 1/21/11...

Shower for our little girl.

2012-01-22T12:05:00.000-05:00

My sweet friends Katie and Julie threw a lovely brunch shower for Baby Girl B last weekend. Here are some highlights!

Behind, but getting there.

2012-01-08T21:37:00.000-05:00

Promise an update from the holidays is on the way. But in the meantime, here's a cute photo of our guy enjoying a 58 degree day in January this past Friday.

Tis the Season...

2011-12-22T07:59:00.000-05:00

Sorry, no cute pictures and Luca musings. Just a Mommy who woke up thankful and happy and wanted to share.

This has been one of the hardest and longest fall seasons on record for our little family and sadly it's been somewhat difficult to find the joy in the little things as we prepare ourselves for Christmas this year. But today, I woke up renewed. I woke up with my husband in our bed (for the first time in a week) and listened as a sleepy little boy called for his Mommy and was surprised to find Daddy come get him instead.

I woke up excited for our trip to New York, that, while brief, is a much-needed break from everyday life for the three (four!) of us. I'm excited to see our family and can't believe it's been five months since Luca has seen his Nono and Nona. He is over the moon, can't stop talking about it, excited to see them. In fact, I was surprised to find him disappointed when I told him we'd take two planes today because he just wants to be there so badly.

I grow a little more weary every day about how I will mother two little people, especially if this little girl has half the energy of her big brother. I wonder how I'll have time to spend with both of them and where my energy source will come from!

But as we look forward to Christmas on Sunday, I think that things will work out. Not to be philosophical or anything, but I'm pretty sure there was a mother-to-be a long time ago who was pretty freaked out about what she was going to do with a tiny baby and the expectations placed on her were quite a bit greater. So, we'll embark on our quick vacation today with only plans to relax, enjoy each other and some time together, and lay the rest of our worries at the feet of that other baby (whose Mama did an okay job, no?).

2011-12-21T09:47:00.000-05:00

Create a free greeting

Christmas with Nana, Mamaw(s) and Papaw

2011-12-18T19:37:00.000-05:00

Opening his homemade afghan from Nana.

Woody!

I believe he was saying "Buzz Lightyear to the rescue!"

With both of his buddies.

Helping Papaw open his presents.

Loving his tent from Mamaw and Papaw!

Stole Papaw's chair and is awfully proud!

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

2011-12-18T18:09:00.000-05:00

Luca's daycare had their annual Christmas program last Thursday night. We think his class was angels or sheep. Not really sure. But here's the highlights!

Visiting with Santa

2011-12-13T17:12:00.000-05:00

Southern Lights 2011

2011-12-10T08:09:00.000-05:00

Luca and the big tree!

Nutcracker Man

Petting some hungry animal. Luca did not love when the Llama took the food from Mommy.

Dave and little Dave.

Self portrait of our family.

The rare shot with Mommy (who is very pale!)

Watching the model trains.

Long Overdue: What Luca is Thankful For....

2011-12-10T08:02:00.000-05:00

O Christmas Tree!

2011-12-03T09:48:00.000-05:00

Countdown

2011-12-01T09:58:00.000-05:00

96 Days to Go!

We are just 96 days from my due date and meeting our sweet baby girl. She is very, very active and has been since around Halloween, especially when I finally get off my feet at night to relax for a bit. Last night Dave was rubbing on my belly and she was very responsive, verifying what I'd read recently about this being the time when they start responding to touch and sound.

This pregnancy has been much different for me than Luca's. For one, I have felt more tired and for longer. I do get little energetic spurts, but usually pay for them. I've been much more emotional and have felt the physical symptoms earlier and more often than I did with him. My Tums intake began much earlier this pregnancy!

FAQ
Q. Do you have a name picked out?
A. Absolutely not. Dave and I have hardly been in the same room since we found out it was a girl. Every time I think I've found the perfect name, I change my mind. But, having said that, I also don't think we'll settle on any name until we meet our little girl and see what fits. Obviously we couldn't name our baby before he/she was born the firs t time since we didn't know the sex, but I think if we'd settled on just one boy name before Luca came, he might not have been Luca and I now know that wouldn't be right! He is such a Luca!

Q. What does Luca think?
A. Sometimes he pays attention to my growing belly, etc. and sometimes nothing is different. Every once in a while he'll tell me he wants to talk to his baby sister, which normally results in him talking into my belly button as if it's a drive thru speaker! Makes me laugh every time.

Q. Does Luca have any name suggestions?
A. He is confused by people asking him this. Her name is Baby Sister he says. He will tell you if he likes a name you suggest. Dave liked Emma and asked Luca what he thought, which got an immediate "yucky" face and a big "Nooooo!" (He has a classmate named Emma who is a little of a bully!)

Q. Have you ruled out any names?
A. Yes! She will not be - Lucy (or likely any other L name), Bianca (thanks Jeff), Frances (I think it's cute by my grandmother, who is Frances, said she'd kill me), Emma (see above), Apple, Orange, Banana, Simba, Shrek, Lightning McQueen, etc. (I'm certain we've ruled out far more but these come to mind.)

So, we're in the home stretch now. I return to the Dr. on Dec. 15 and we'll get to see our sweet girl again. At the 20 week ultrasound they detected a calcium deposit on the heart. The Dr. is certain this is nothing and that the equipment they use today is so much better than it was in the past, so they just see more than they used to. Calcium on the heart can be a weak marker for Downs Syndrome, but we also did the full panel blood screening at 12 and 16 weeks and it showed the risks of Downs was 1 in 5,000 or so. She said we have no other markers and that these things often disappear in a few weeks. So hopefully it will be all gone come the 15th and we can move on. (Of course prayers and good thoughts are appreciated regardless!)

Thanksgiving Photo

2011-11-29T20:22:00.002-05:00

We did actually get a Thanksgiving photo of the four (5) of us...my aunt texted this to me...

Tis the Season

2011-11-27T18:08:00.000-05:00

We're not planning to get our big tree until next weekend but Luca and I decided to put up his fun tree in the family room.

Nothing says Thanksgiving like...

2011-11-27T17:46:00.000-05:00

eating a Popsicle without your shirt on while rocking a Barbie necklace!

Thankful for ...

2011-11-15T20:50:00.000-05:00

this face!

Definitely Getting Better

2011-11-03T19:16:00.000-04:00

We've had a rough couple of days here. Luca woke up on Wednesday at 5 a.m. vomiting, which continued, despite no real food or much to drink, until 4 p.m. when we went to the emergency room on doctor's orders. They were able to stop the vomiting and get some drink and crackers into him. I thought we were in the clear, but the vomiting resumed at 10:15 and 10:30 before finally stopping.

Luca stayed home today again, part of the day with Daddy and part with our friend Jacy. It seems he is recovering nicely since he wanted to do a concert tonight at Aunt Tricia's request.

His new favorite song is Hakuna Matata from The Lion King and I think he knows almost all of the chorus...take a look.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T20:45:00.000-04:00

All of Luca's Pumpkins

Goofy Boy!

In the tree...

Ready for his mission.

With the neighbors Gracie and Wyatt.

At our neighbor Diane's house - first stop two years running now!

Suddenly doesn't need Mommy or Daddy to go up...

Taking a break to warm up and eat some M&Ms.

Recent Cell Phone Gems

2011-10-31T11:45:00.000-04:00

Buzz Lightyear to the rescue!

Mommy and Luca making pizza!

We took him underwear shopping to celebrate the start of potty training. He was so excited he wanted to hold all of the underwear in his lap on the way home from Target!

His modeling pose.


Looking very cute (yet cranky) in his new shirt and tie for my grandmother's funeral.

Just Luca!

More photos of our daughter...

2011-10-20T07:50:00.000-04:00

What a lovely spine she has!

Foot!

Her version of her big brother's Skelator face!

It's a GIRL!

2011-10-19T13:29:00.000-04:00

In honor of today's news, the blog has gone pink. That's right! We're adding a little GIRL to our family in March! Amazing. Hope she likes basketball.

Luca was more excited than this but the flash was causing some funny faces!

Fire Safety Parade

2011-10-16T20:17:00.000-04:00

Last Monday was the annual Fire Safety Festival and Parade downtown. It was Dave's last night of fall break, so we made a night of it.

Luca's buddy Eden was there too!

Family Dinner

2011-10-16T20:07:00.000-04:00

My family got together today for a family dinner for my brother's birthday. Luca hadn't seen his cousins MacKenzie and Jameson since he was just a baby (too much time!). Lots of fun.

Jameson, Kaylen, MacKenzie, Alexis, Luca and Carson.

Bella, Kaylen, Carson, Luca, Kenzie, Lexy and Jameson

Intense Checkers game.

Brian, Johnny and Jera chatting.

Luca really wants a little sister - today, Bella was his practice person!

Siblings - Jera and Chad, Johnny, Brian and Mandy.

All of us "kids" and our "kids".

Luca at the Bat

2011-10-06T21:41:00.002-04:00

This was the point where he "need a break to get a drink."

Sorry for our absence...

2011-10-03T10:08:00.000-04:00

I completely apologize for the lack of love on the blog. It feels like September moved in fast forward. Dave has been working a LOT, more than any of us like, and I am pretty certain I am twice as tired in my second trimester than my first.

Having said that, there is never a dull moment at our house or in our world. Our second genetic experiment is moving along nicely. I am 17 weeks, 6 days pregnant today, which means I begin my 19th week tomorrow! It's amazing how fast this pregnancy is going. We have an ultrasound in a couple of weeks and CAN find out the gender then. We're still on the fence about whether we want to find out or be surprised again like we were with Luca.

Luca is full of life and truly says the funniest things I have ever heard. I will not post his musings about the male and female anatomy online, but if you ask me in person, I will certainly make your day and share. It's being put in his baby book, but figure his future employers, girlfriends, etc. shouldn't get a free pass to this information on the world wide web.

His new favorite word is "dangerous." Dave has been getting on him because he likes to reach up on the kitchen counters to get things. We are trying to teach him that there might be things up there that he can't see. So, the other night, he was helping me cook dinner. He was standing on his stool at the counter, preparing to stir the Brussels sprouts with the salt and pepper and oil and I was chopping the vegetables.

L:"Mommy, I can do this."
M: "Yes,and you're doing a great job."
L: "I can do this because it's not dangerous. Mommy, THAT, is dangerous." (Looking at my knife.)
M: "Yes, it is."
L: "I not do it."

So, the "danger" talk has taken on many forms, all cuter than the last.

He has also told everyone who asks what kind of baby he wants that he'd like a "black baby." Comical and all, but I'm working on convincing him that there is no way this is going to happen. That seems to be fading. Now he is equal-opportunity telling one person it's a brother and the next that it is a sister. Whichever way we go with the "finding out or not", we are taking Luca to the ultrasound, so he can see his sibling!

Trying on Mommy's high heels. It had to happen sooner or later. Ultimately he decided they didn't work with his outfit.

We had dinner with my friend Anna in September. Anna was our neighbor when we lived in Mexico, Mo. and now she works for a marketing company and travels to sports events all over the Midwest. She was in Lexington for the Florida football game. Luca loved her.

The Artist Formerly Known as Luca!

2011-09-13T09:28:00.002-04:00

Playing with Cousin Christian!

2011-09-07T21:33:00.000-04:00

Last weekend we were in Maysville. Sadly, it was for my Grandmom's funeral. But with mourning comes togetherness. Luca had fun catching up with lots of family, including a fun time playing with his cousin Christian (who is eight months older than him) and his Aunt Tricia!

Cooking with Daddy

2011-09-07T21:20:00.000-04:00

First Soccer Game of the Year

2011-08-28T11:48:00.000-04:00

Went to our first UK Soccer game of the year Friday night. A good time was had by all.

Happy to say....

2011-08-24T09:35:00.000-04:00

A baby brother or sister is on the way! We're expecting on March 6! Everything looks great with the newest Baby B!

2011-08-17T20:48:00.000-04:00

yeehaw Cowboy!

I can catch my football now!

"I sit on my bench. I need a break."

Another action shot.

Our first baby.

Mowing with Daddy

2011-08-14T17:50:00.000-04:00

Fun with Cousins

2011-08-14T16:21:00.000-04:00

Last weekend my aunt and uncle were in from Florida with my 10 and 11 year old cousins Ethan and Noah. Luca just loves these two "big boys" and had a blast playing ball, getting and giving the belly button treatment and just relaxing.

Catching Up with Old Friends

2011-07-31T18:04:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we went to Maysville to see our good friends Josh, Shana, Grant and Cole and meet baby Ryan. The Owens' family has spent the last year living in south Florida and just moved home. We also got to catch up with my high school friend Lela and her family and Julie, Jordan, Reece and Jonathan.

Mandy & Ryan

Cole, Grant and Luca

Luca and his Capri Sun

Running after Shana down the hill to the swingset.


Luca and Cole. Hard to believe they are 10 months apart in age.

Lainey and Jovey, Grant and Cole

Reece

Ryan

Reece, Luca, Grant and Cole having some "quiet time."

'Pinkler Time!

2011-07-26T16:45:00.002-04:00

Today the weather was hot so we brought out the 'prinkler (sprinkler) to play in the back yard. Luca originally did not like the sprinkler but ever since NY he has started to love running through it!

Farm Time - NY Style

2011-07-21T22:27:00.000-04:00

Tonight we took a trip out to Sinon Farm for some petting zoo fun and delicious ice cream fresh from the farm! A turtle even made a surprise visit to the parking lot. Luca had a great time seeing the animals and like yesterday's trip to Debra T's, the ice cream took a back seat to everything else!

Live from New York, 2011

2011-07-18T09:24:00.000-04:00

Saturday on Uncle Jack's Farm

2011-07-10T17:26:00.000-04:00

Our dear friends the Weber Family were so kind to invite us out to Uncle Jack and Aunt Phoebe's farm so Luca could get his first taste of the farm life this weekend. Uncle Jack is amazing - 80+ and still farming his 450 acre plot of land every day. Here are some highlights!

More from St. Louis

2011-07-10T17:07:00.000-04:00

Everyone loves bath time at Aunt Tricia and Aunt Lisa's house.

Drinking the milk after finishing his cereal!

Snacking on Brett's boat.

Cruising down the river at about 45 mph and look who fell asleep.

Daddy was awesome at tubing!

Someone wanted to drink the milk after his cereal was gone.

Live from the Lou

2011-07-02T17:26:00.000-04:00

Picking cucumbers with Aunt Lisa.

With Lisa and Tricia

What a great cucumber!

Luca wanted kisses.

Daddy and Luca in line at Gus' Pretzels (Daddy's favorite STL spot).

L's first bit of gussy lovin.

Riding the 'motorcycle".

Good Times with Good Friends

2011-06-25T23:18:00.000-04:00

We were lucky to catch up with some dear friends tonight - the Kindy's and the Gordon's. Dave and I worked with both Dave K. and Jaime G. at UK when we first met and spent lots of time traveling with them. And we, of course, love their better halves even more - Jill and Ashley.

I also loved babysitting for all four of their munchkins through the years - so to see them just adoring and loving on Luca is pretty fun.

The kids taking a walk.

Luca and Lauren as she shows him how to roll down the hill.

He's in love!

Not sure why the camera did this but it's cute.

Luca, Lauren, Drew, Sydney and Jamison. What a good lookin' bunch of kids!

Luca and Jamison watching Shrek 2.

He was comfortable enough to put his feet up on her lap. Kills me!

Week in Pics

2011-06-25T14:44:00.000-04:00

Enough said.

Daddy reading his Father's Day Card

Luca, a little unhappy after Momma sprayed him with hose outside.

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T12:34:00.000-04:00

Wanted to share with everyone the super cute Father's Day cards I found at tinyprints.com. They had a great deal (buy one get one free) and were loved by all three Dad recipients.

For Daddy from Luca

For Nono from Luca

For my Dad from Us

Kids Say the Darndest Things - June 2011 Edition

2011-06-14T12:37:00.000-04:00

I was just thinking of cute little things our adorable toddler says and thought I should document them...

"Hold You Mommy/Daddy" - It means he wants you to hold him. see also "Carry You Mommy/Daddy."
"Juicy Water" - it means he wants some diluted juice.
"Fader, son, hody speewet" - you guess.
"No Dinky" - this means he does not want to sing Skinnamarinky Dinky Dink.
"No Sunshine" - Does not want to sing "You Are My Sunshine"
"Not" - Apparently I say to him a lot - "Do you want to _____ or not?" and now whenever I do something he doesn't want to do or doesn't like, he yells "NOT" no matter if I asked him that or not!
"Popcorns" - his code for Corn Pops Cereal.

Fun with Reece and Jonathan!

2011-06-13T22:04:00.000-04:00

Last night we went to our good friend Reece's house for a cookout. Luca and Reece had fun swimming and playing while most of us (me!) cooed over Baby Jonathan (almost a month old already!).

More from Hilton Head

2011-06-01T14:53:00.003-04:00

Vacation

2011-05-29T18:57:00.003-04:00

We have arrived in Hilton Head and are already having a blast. Luca LOVES the ocean (and trust me, we were relieved). He cried already when we came in to eat dinner.

Boys Weekend

2011-05-21T16:34:00.000-04:00

We're lucky to have Dave's two grad school roommates in this weekend. Luca is having lots of fun with the "guys".

Luca and Ben

Looking super cute before school Friday.

Mowing the lawn like a pro.

Cousin Megan's Wedding

2011-05-19T14:37:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, we went to Maysville to my cousin Megan's wedding. Luca loved seeing Pat-Pat, Wilma, Uncle Road and was extra happy that his girlfriend Reece was there!

First Trip to the Dentist

2011-05-19T14:17:00.000-04:00

Today was Luca's first trip to the dentist. He has 16 healthy teeth and did really well but did NOT want to sit in the chair, so we did a lap to lap exam. He also got a new Buzz Lightyear toothbrush and a toy from the toy box!

Sunday, Funday!

2011-05-15T19:34:00.000-04:00

With his buddy Braylon!

Amare, Braylon, Dorian and Cameron.

Cooking soup to make Daddy feel better.

Mickey Mouse singing "please don't take my sunshine....ALL THE WAY!!!!"

2011-05-14T10:10:00.000-04:00

2011-05-14T07:40:00.000-04:00

Watching Airplanes!

2011-05-08T11:13:00.000-04:00

Daddy had another awesome idea. We went out to the airport last night and watched airplanes take off and land. He had so much fun! We also took the long way home and said hello to lots of horsies!

Weekend Tidbits

2011-05-03T17:59:00.000-04:00

Playing with Cousin Noah

With Noah and Ethan

Wrestling!

Sweet face!

Drawing is tough work.

His new trick!

Funny Luca Story

2011-04-29T07:55:00.000-04:00

Luca told me this week that he'd like to have a brother. We were in the car riding home from school and he said, "I want a brother." I wasn't totally surprised as one of his classmates just found out he's having a brother and our dear friends J&J are expecting a little boy any day now, so his favorite friend Reece will have a little brother.

So I asked him what we could call this brother. He said "Beeyouuh" (his version of our last name.) I said, well honey, that's all of our last names. What will his first name be? He says, "Bicycle." I said, "Bicycle, huh?" He just looked at me and said "Yep" and went about his business. It's good that he's so certain.

Eden's Birthday Party

2011-04-24T11:17:00.000-04:00

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T11:14:00.000-04:00

Checking out his gifts from the Easter Bunny and Nono and Nona!

Nono and Nona's card had a big truck on it!

Great new book to take to mass.

All ready to go to church.

That's Captain Slick to you!

Not a great picture, but one of all three of us.

Pretty sure I'm not supposed to play with this!

Lots of sports whistles!

Thanks for Visiting Nono and Nona!

2011-04-19T20:57:00.000-04:00

Luca's been so happy to have his Nono and Nona visit from New York this week. We love having them and hate that they are so far away. Here are some snapshots from our time with them. We love you Nono and Nona and will count the days until our next visit!

Those are some good looking B's!

Is it just me, or does Luca look more like a little boy than my sweet baby?

Other Weekend Gems

2011-04-18T18:02:00.000-04:00

With his grass plant from Auntie Jean.

On to the 10th hole.

With his new baseball glove

Working in the yard with Nono.

Using his new baseball game

Being silly with Aunt Lisa!

Birthday PARTY!!!!

2011-04-18T17:52:00.000-04:00

The Birthday Boy

Reece and Julie

A very important meeting.

Cousin Kaylen playing hopscotch.

Lots of birthday well-wishers.

Jordan, Julie and Jonathan!

Kaylen and Bella!

GG, Nana and Aunt Tricia

Aunt Lisa and Papaw

Great Packages in the Mail Today!

2011-04-13T22:09:00.000-04:00

Luca was so excited to open packages from Aunt Jean and Uncle Craig and Aunt Danielle today!

Looking great in my new cap!

Jeanie sent me a package!!!

New wristbands for my basketball games!!

Hello!! This is a GIANT soccer ball!

You can call me Elton if you want.

I think Puppy looks pretty great!

But so does Daddy!

2011-04-13T13:43:00.000-04:00

Happy to Luca!

2011-04-13T13:40:00.000-04:00

We decided last year that we'd make a tradition of taking off work to spend Luca's birthday with him each year (at least until he's in school)! The birthday boy requested pancakes for breakfast, which Daddy shaped like Mickey Mouse!

Then we went to a little paint your own pottery place in town called The Mad Potter and made Luca a new switch plate for his light switch and a handprint plate to commemorate his second birthday!

More Birthday fun to follow!

Happy Second Birthday Little One!

2011-04-13T08:31:00.000-04:00

Dear Luca,
Happy 2nd Birthday to you! It's so hard to believe that it has already been two years since that wonderful day when we met you for the first time. They say that children are like little sponges at this age, absorbing everything around them and that is certainly true with you.

Looking back to your first birthday, it's amazing how much you've grown and changed in the last 12 months. When you smashed that first birthday cake, you were barely standing up without holding something, and it was six more weeks before you took your first steps! You really enjoyed the summer time, eating new foods, taking trips to see Aunt Jean in June and a nice week with Nono and Nona in July. It was also very apparent that you loved being in water! We took a swim class at the Y in May and it was a huge hit!

In August, we went for a long weekend to Buffalo for Cousin Mike and Kim's wedding! We also met your Aunts Tricia and Lisa in Evansville for a visit and got to go to Maysville for the Hot Air Balloon festival.

Fall started with your first visit to the emergency room, your first haircut, lots of quality time with Granddad, and a fun visit to Keeneland to watch the morning workouts and have breakfast. There was pumpkin picking, lots of playing in the leaves, and Nono and Nona came to visit for your very DUCKY Halloween!

In early November, Momma took you and Mamaw Frances to St. Louis for a long weekend to see your Aunts, visit with our friend Sarah and visit the zoo while Daddy had his first road trip of the basketball season! Speaking of basketball, late in 2010 this sport became your OBSESSION! We had a very snowy winter, which suited you just fine in about 10 minute increments.

Christmas was a BLAST with you this year! You and Mommy took a trip to see Nono, Nona and Aunt Jean in New York while the Colonels were on a road trip for an early holiday celebration! And Christmas morning was priceless - Santa brought you a big boy chair and your very own basketball hoop! You had so much fun opening your presents and helping Mommy and Daddy open theirs! And Daddy surprised you and Mommy both with a new snow sled, which was perfect since we had a perfect White Christmas!

As we rang in 2011, you really started talking up a storm. Everyday you would say something to totally crack us up! We had more snow in January than we could remember for years. Sadly, we had to say goodbye to Granddad in January, which was incredibly hard, but also brought some sweet time with Mommy's family.

February saw Mommy travel for some work, leaving Daddy and Luca to fend for themselves! Auntie Jean came to visit for a long weekend, we had our first taste of spring weather and we had a party to celebrate Daddy's 32nd birthday. Mommy also had a blast taking you to your very first Kentucky Basketball game. We got to hang out courtside for the entire game, which you were pretty happy about!

As spring seemed to finally be around to stay, we had some fun in Richmond watching baseball, watched the Wildcats march to the Final Four, which you loved, and you transitioned very well into your Big Boy Bed (thanks to Nono and Nona for your awesome sports bedding)!

And now, here we are preparing to celebrate you and another amazing year! If you'd asked us a year ago, I'm sure we would both have said that nothing could top the first 12 months we had with you. We were wrong. You have turned into a tiny little person just bubbling over with charm, personality, stubbornness and curiosity. You are so sweet and sometimes you still like to snuggle and cuddle like a little baby, but most of the time you are rearing to go, ready to explore and see everything.

There is nothing sweeter than to hear you say your prayers at night, hear you say you love us or ask for a kiss. You are such a loving and wonderful person and we know that God has blessed us by letting us be your parents. We are so anxious to see what this next year holds for you.

We love you so so much baby!
Love,
Mommy and Daddy

More from our family photo shoot...

2011-04-07T20:54:00.001-04:00

2011-04-07T20:42:00.000-04:00

Weekend Wrapup

2011-04-03T21:43:00.000-04:00

Skyping With Nono and Nona!

Clean!

Watching the Final Four with Reece!

Hiding with Reece!

Mr. Basketball

At the Old Courthouse in Downtown Lexington

Daddy's Boy!

Mommy's Boy


And on a side note, we painted the office this weekend!

All in a Day's Work

2011-03-31T20:01:00.000-04:00

So, Luca and I were playing out back the other day and I decided to do something productive and do some lunges and squats while we shot basketball. He immediately started doing the same thing. So, tonight, we were on Skype with Aunt Jean and he wanted to show her. But, as we started our "workout" something else worked its way out...

Luca's Reaction to the Wildcats Advancing to the 2011 Final Four

2011-03-31T19:51:00.000-04:00

Family Photos, Part I

2011-03-27T20:05:00.000-04:00

Weekend Activities

2011-03-27T19:44:00.000-04:00

On Saturday we went to cousin Kaylen's 4th Birthday Party...

Sunday we did some work around the house and anxiously awaited the UK-UNC game...

Pre-game meal consisted of corn at halftime...

This, my friends, is the look of victory! The Cats are heading to the Final Four for the first time in 13 years!!!

2011-03-23T19:46:00.000-04:00

2011-03-21T22:30:00.000-04:00

Big Boy Bed!

2011-03-21T22:27:00.000-04:00

Tonight was Luca's first night in his new big boy bed. Thanks to Nona and Nono for his awesome new bedding! The last photo was taken about 20 minutes after he laid down - I think he likes it!

New Camera - Beware!

2011-03-20T15:34:00.000-04:00

Ready for the Big Game!

2011-03-13T11:02:00.000-04:00

Go Cats!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

2011-03-12T19:19:00.000-05:00

Daddy needed to be on campus today for some home baseball games, so Luca and I took a trip to the ballpark!

Luca and Reece

2011-02-26T20:51:00.000-05:00

Luca's First UK Game

2011-02-26T20:49:00.000-05:00

Katie gave us her tickets to the UK-Florida game today. It was Luca's first game at Rupp Arena and he had a blast.

Luca and Dr. Mair on the bench.

On the court (moments before he took off running!)

With the twins.

Self-Portrait

Eyes are on the court!

I look a wee bit scary but an actual photo of us together.

Ah, the Special K cheer. I'm not a fan of the new flag.

Little guy was worn out. Got home at 7 and didn't even wake up when I put him to bed.

Celebrating Daddy's Birthday

2011-02-21T20:02:00.001-05:00

We had friends over yesterday to celebrate Dave's birthday since he'll be traveling on the big day (Thursday).

Someone is too cool to even wear his glasses the right way. But not too cool to wear them at night!

Luca and his buddy Reece had a great time, as always.

Luca loved showing off his train from Uncle Brian and Aunt Katie. Reece also thought it was pretty great!

Great ice cream cake with my ghetto icing job!

Luca trying to sneak one last bedtime kiss before Reece went home.

I could just eat him up. He's so stinkin' adorable!

Does my hair look good like this?

Just a few shots before bedtime!

2011-02-20T11:09:00.000-05:00

Early Taste of Spring

2011-02-20T10:58:00.000-05:00

We had some springlike weather this week, so Luca did some yard work after school on Friday. If you notice the wetspot on his pants, he didn't leak through a diaper, but poured his water all over him.

Mr. Chatty

2011-02-17T08:33:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted much for a while, and I have no new photos from this busy week to share, but I thought I'd detail some of my favorite things the little guy says now.

Beeyouuh - yes, that's Brajuha to you and me. He actually says it better than most folks.
Basketball - he says this ALL THE TIME! It's his mantra. It's what he wants to do, it's where his Daddy works, it's what we have to watch at 6:15 a.m. We've started recording basketball games on the DVR so we're not in trouble over the summer/early fall.
Reese - Luca loves his friend Reese and talks about her lots, often at very random times when we haven't even seen her in a while. It's pretty cute.
All Gone - This is when we are done eating, when we flush the toilet, when the bathwater has all drained.
Find the Bah - last night on our way home from EKU's last home game of the year, Luca kept throwing his pacifier on the floor and telling Katie, Find the Bah! If you could get by the annoyance of having to climb over the seats looking while going 75 mph, it was funny. P.S. Katie was climbing, I was driving.
Upper - this means up.
Blue - it's the answer any time you ask him what color something is...
Gooooooo Colonels! - Stinkin cute!

Aunt Jean is Here!!!

2011-02-11T20:16:00.000-05:00

Jean is in town visiting for the weekend. She kept Luca home from school today and got her education on Toddler Basketball 101. I have a feeling both Luca and Jean will sleep well tonight!

Snow Snow and More Snow!!

2011-02-07T18:15:00.004-05:00

When we got home from school today there were some giant wet snow flakes falling from the sky. Luca had to try to catch all of them! Once he mastered the art with his hands he quickly moved on to trying with his mouth. Who says they are tired of all the snow we are getting? Not Luca and I!!

Sunday Snapshots

2011-02-06T21:05:00.000-05:00

Finally had enough downtime to take a few candids of our Sunday fun...

Just hanging out enjoying some sunshine in the front room!

Cheese!

Me and Mommy!

Playing at Will's house with his train table before the Superbowl!

Luca and Daddy...

2011-02-01T10:39:00.003-05:00

Mom had a business trip to Charleston, SC yesterday and today so it was grocery shopping for Luca and Dad. We learned a very important lession that red sugar cookies are not a favorite, but putting a salad bowl on our head is! Dad just learned how to pull photos off his iphone so he will make a concerted effort to contribute more posts!

Has been a very busy couple of weeks for the Brajuha/Polley/Hunt families, thank you all for your well wishes.

Playdate with Reece

2011-01-21T07:54:00.002-05:00

Last weekend while Daddy was gone on his epic road trip, our sweet friend Jordan agreed to watch Luca and his little girl Reece so Julie and I could have a girls' night out with our friends Katie, Lori and Julie. Reece had just gotten this new tunnel system and the kids had so much fun.

When we came home at 10 a.m. both kids were still up. Jordan said Luca kept trying to lay his head down but Reece would come over and yell "Luca, Luca, Luca!" They love each other - it's so cute.

Let It Snow

2011-01-20T17:07:00.002-05:00

Expecting 3-5 inches of snow tonight and it's coming down fast!

Long Weekend Fun

2011-01-17T16:07:00.002-05:00

We've had a busy long weekend. On Friday night, I had a girls' night out with my friends while Luca played with Reece and Jordan. We had lunch with the Weber gang on Saturday and Chelsie slept over...after church and lunch on Sunday we relaxed all day at the house. Today we had a play date with Luca's friends Kieran and Lilly but I forgot to take photos. Oops. But here's two of Luca from today!

MIA Again

2011-01-14T15:06:00.002-05:00

Wow, turns out it's hard to blog with a nearly two-year-old around. Sorry for the lack of posts...and the blurry cell phone photos. I'm very frustrated with our camera. I can't take a clear photo of anything to save my life. UGH! Need the camera fairy to grant me a Canon Digital Rebel...

And another thing...

2011-01-04T08:10:00.003-05:00

I had to report on a new funny Luca-ism! This weekend I was trying on some new Christmas purchases - yay for sales at Macy's - and I was "gracefully" shimmying into some new tights and Luca looks at me, smiles and says - "Ohhhh - BIG socks!" So cute!

Kids Say the Darndest Things...

2010-12-30T10:50:00.002-05:00

Things Luca is saying right now, most of which crack us up...

"Thank you." The voice is so cute and every time you say "You're welcome," he just says it again!
"Basketball" - all of the time.
"I don't know!" - and this is usually accompanied by holding his hands in front of his chest in an inquisitive manner.
"Momma, Dadda, Momma, Dadda." enough said.
"Big _______ (insert anything here)" Everything is BIG - big shoes, big chair, big truck.
"Goodbye poopoo" - anytime he hears a toilet flush. Slightly embarrassing in public.
"Hot Dog!" - For those of you not spending every day with a toddler, "Hot Dog!" is the song that they dance to on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse at the end of the show. However, Luca is pretty certain that Mickey's real name is Hot Dog!
"Jackman" - this is what Luca calls both his friend Jaxson at school and his jacket. Can be a little confusing.
"Reece!" - Luca is major-league loving his Reece these days.

Big Hill Sledding

2010-12-26T11:16:00.002-05:00