Smiles...

See... he DOES SMILE! He does.... I swear it. He may be a pretty darn serious boy most of the time... and you might have to work pretty hard to get it... but LUKE DOES SMILE!!!!!!

And, when you do get him to smile... it's so worth it! Those big blue eyes light up. That dimple shows clear as day.... and it just warms your heart. He is going to be a heartbreaker when he grows up... in my mind and heart, he already is!!!

Our little Luke sure is full of it.... but he is 17 months old today... and I think he just gets sweeter every day. Yes... he is a handful. Yes... he gets into more trouble than Ally ever did at this age.... but boys will be boys! Like one of his shirts says... Luke is 100% Boy!!!!!

Here are somethings that Luke is doing at 17 months:

• Luke is the pickiest eater I know. Seriously. The boy hardly eats anything at all and I think it's starting to show! I swear he feels skinnier and skinnier as the days go by. He loves milk and still prefers to drink it to eating. I think this is insane. I don't know what to attribute it to. We were very strict with Ally, food wise. Maybe we have messed up with Luke, allowing him to have sweets and "junkier" food so early. Cuz.. that's the one thing the boy WILL eat. CRAP! Cupcakes... chips.... ugh... all that stuff Ally didn't even know existed until recently.
• Luke still loves his blankie, or "Gigi". Love, love, loves it! It's the first thing he calls for when he's hurting or tired or cranky. It calms him. Makes him feel safe. And, I think it is so cute..... our little "Linus." :-) He prefers to chew on the corners and they are all just nasty!!!!! It will probably fall apart soon and life as we know it will come to an end.... but for now... he's happy with his Gigi.... and so are we!
• Luke LOVES to climb!!!!! He will climb up on anything and everything he can make his little body get onto. No matter how ridiculous... he will find a way to get up on it. He cannot always get down or off... and this prompts some screaming until he is rescued.
• Being confined SUCKS! Carseats... strollers.... grocery carts... you name it. If it holds him "in"... he hates it. Don't hold a boy down....
• All dogs are "Molly". Scott's parents (Nana and Papa) have a black Scottish Terrier named Molly... who he spends every day with... so it goes without saying, that this was one of his early words and his early reference to a dog. We have a white and a black "Molly" at our house. (otherwise known and Fergus and Berkley) All dogs are Molly!!!!!!
• Lately Luke has taken to saying "no, no, no" and pointing his finger at whatever or whoever he is saying "no, no, no" to. I'm not sure where he learned this. I choose to blame Papa.
• From time to time, Luke has bitten Grace. Any great recommendations on how to deter a child from biting? He has never bitten at home... either Scott or I, or Ally... so we need to give my in-laws some sort of punishment to implement. I don't believe in hitting him in anyway. No spanking... nothing like that at all. Not to mention... when Luke gets frustrated, he hits too... so hitting him will only encourage him!!!!!! I have all sorts of techniques for Ally and the older crowd... but a 17 month old? How does one discipline a 17 month old? HELP!!!!!!!!

He's full of it and sweet and every day, I say to someone... "it's a good thing he's so cute... or I'd sell him on the black market" :-) The boy really is a handful... and very different from Ally at this age. Ally has her own challenges... and had her own challenges... but as a baby and toddler... she was a freakin' angel! I can see this now that I have a typical toddler!!!! I have HIGH hopes that this means we will have an easy 4-5 year old... cuz that's when Ally entered therapy. ;-)

Me... I've been in therapy for years......... :-)))))))))

Hugs Luke... and happy 17 month birthday.... you make us crazy, but would we really have life any other way????