Lucas' 12 Month Pics

Wow! Just can't believe my sweet baby reached the one year mark so quickly!!! It seems like just a few months ago, I was desperately waiting for him to be born (almost 2 weeks late!). And here it is, his birthday...well, mid-January was his birthday...I'm still behind in all my blogging!

not quite sure of this picture-taking thing

"well, hello there, mr. tigger"




kisses

there's a smile--kindof

there's the "lucas look" that our family has come to know so well--

mouth wide open!!! so excited!!!

Lucas is still such a happy boy, all the time. He's generally laid back and go with the flow. He absolutely adores his big brother Anthony. He enjoys music and loves dancing with Anthony and Daddy. He has a fondness for animals, especially dogs, and he gets so excited when he sees one that he can barely sit still (or stay in my arms!). He spoke his first word at 12 months--"Amen"--said with lots of gusto at the end of our prayers at mealtime and bedtime. Since then, he's added the following words...

#2 mama

#3 ball

#4 uh-oh

#5 dada

#6 babbo (italian for dad)

#7 bye bye

#8 Meme (my mom)

#9 hi (spoken southern style with two syllables!)

#10 balloon (or "boon", said after his party!)

He also usually remembers to say "please" (while signing it) and "thank you"--so sweet!

Here are his 12 month stats...

weight: 17 pounds, 2 ounces (<5th percentile)

height: 28 3/4 inches (20th percentile)

Lucas took his first steps at 12 months and started walking more than crawling at 14 months. He almost runs now, in order to keep up with Anthony! :) He loves food, and usually eats more than Anthony at mealtime. He loves his milk and asks for it often. He sleeps about 12 hours at night with two 1 1/2 to 2-hour naps every day. He still loves sleeping with his giraffe, and we dropped his paci at 14 months. He has just recently gotten to the point where he will sit in my lap to read a book (before, he just could not sit still enough even to make it through a short baby board book!). He is so active and energetic! He loves playing outside, swinging, climbing up into the fort in the backyard, and sliding down holding my hands. He thinks it's really cool to brush his teeth, and he tries to run away when I tell him it's time to change his diaper! He can follow directions really well, and he loves to help his mommy put away toys and clothes. His smile can light up the room, and his dominant trait is his determination--the kid never gives up!

He is such a joy to our family! What an honor to raise such a sweet baby boy...he truly is a gift to us!