Pevznamian Baby

Updates...Finally

2012-02-06T20:21:00.011-05:00

My little girl weighed more than 20 pounds at her 6 month checkup! She keeps popping out her clothes. But, I guess if you had to pop out of clothes the only cute age to do so would be under 5!

Lucas had his third birthday party in January. If you ask him what his favorite part of the day was, I'd bet he's answer "cake!"

He also loved playing with Theo and Eli!

Sydney is sitting up and is starting to put everything into her mouth. I'm trying to keep a close eye on Lucas so one of his "tools or pirates" doesn't end up in Sydney's mouth. I have to admit Lucas is really sweet to his sister. If she is upset I'll ask him to sing or talk to her. I'll come back in the room and he is singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to her. Of course, Syd, is just enamoured by her big brother. I wonder if and when that will change.
Lucas and I have been spending some quality time together by going to a music class. I've been spending so much time with Sydney that often Lucas gets left out. I hired a babysitter to watch Syd while Lucas and I take this class together. He absolutely loves it and I love spending time with my son! Maybe he'll be the next American Idol? Don't you think America would vote for that face?

Birthday and Christmas

2012-01-01T08:25:00.006-05:00

We like to do everything in a week in the Pevznamian household. Lucas' birthday is December 22, my birthday is December 24, and, of course, Christmas is December 25. Needless to say the week was crazy. Lucas just expected presents everyday and played non stop for days.

The token Christmas picture taken in front of the tree.

Lucas waiting anxiously for cake!

My 3 year old!

Happy kiddos!

Santa!

2011-12-17T19:46:00.005-05:00

This year Lucas is really into Christmas and Santa. Last year when I brought Lucas to see Santa he screamed bloody murder and jumped off Santa's lap. This year was a different story! When the elf unhooked the ribbon to walk down the aisle to see Santa, Lucas tore down the aisle and leaped into Santa's arms. I know I'm a little partial since he's my son, but it was really darn cute. Here's the pic we got from the moment.

After that class picture we got another one....

I can't tell you how many pictures my family has with me making the same expression as Lucas. I guess he was all smiled out after the first picture.

On another note...Sydney has started eating baby food and has rolled over!

Granny

2011-12-10T13:07:00.005-05:00

After 99 years my granny passed away a few weeks ago. It was sad to see her go but at least she is with her daughter now.

I have so many memories with granny:

She was the one who taught me to put butter and then jelly on toast. Try it - it's delicous!

When my mom asked her to clean the decanter set, she would drink all the wine in it and then polish it. Sometimes Holly and I would be lucky enough to get a sip.

I always gave her my marshmallow peeps from my Easter basket. I never liked them but my mom always gave them to me and I would just hand them over to granny.

She's always buy a huge tin of flavored popcorn on Christmas Eve. I always devoured the caramel side.

Granny was the one who held me as we both watched my mom die.

She loved when I brought her those nutritious Honey Buns.

I'm grateful I had so many years with her and she was able to meet Sydney and Lucas. Miss you granny.

Thanksgiving

2011-12-01T20:43:00.005-05:00

Sydney celebrated her first Thanksgiving with her family in Agawam. I have to admit it was quite fun dressing her in a cute dress, tights, and hair clip. I told Steve I had been waiting my whole life for it! Lucas had a blast destroying my dad's house and playing with his partners in crime, Theo and Eli.

I finally couldn't take waking up every two hours with Sydney so I tried sleep training a few weeks ago. For those of you who are lucky enough not to know about sleep training, it is basically a few days of hell while the baby cries at night. However, the outcome is fantastic because the baby learns how to soothe herself at night and therefore sleeps longer. It took Sydney a few days but now she is doing great. She goes into her crib at 7 and wakes up around 4 for a feeding and then gets up around 6. You may not think waking up at 4 is fantastic but compared to waking up every 2 hours, I'll take it.

Lucas has been continuing his mischievous ways. Steve had to put a lock on the snack cabinet after I found him eating a sleeve of Fig Newtons. A few nights later while I walked out of the baby's room I found Lucas eating a bag of frozen peaches. He had opened the freezer, crawled on a chair, grabbed scissors on the top shelf of our desk, and cut open the bag of peaches. I'm not quite sure if I should feel proud or annoyed.

;

Cute cousins

2011-11-14T20:46:00.000-05:00

Halloween

2011-10-31T21:09:00.004-04:00

Here are some pictures from Halloween. Sydney is getting huge and weighs 16 1/2 pounds already!

Getting Big!

2011-10-10T14:00:00.003-04:00

Yeah, it's been a while since I last posted. But that's how it goes with two little ones at home and being a full time teacher.

Sydney is getting huge and is becoming so alert. She loves watching Lucas and giggling at his silly antics. She's also doing well at daycare. We're still trying to get into a routine but we're all over the place. I am hoping in another month or so things may go a little more smoothly. On a positive note, I have not been late to work once since I started back. We somehow are making it out of the house on time despite diaper mishaps, spit up, hunger and crying!

Sydney goes to the doctor in two weeks for her 4 month check up!

Ovarian Cancer 5k

2011-09-13T12:40:00.003-04:00

Every year Steve and I (friends too) walk or run the Ovarian Cancer 5k in honor of my mom. Since I haven't run in a while and Sydney can't go in a running stroller yet, I walked it. Steve and Lucas decided to run it and Steve came in 4th in his age group. That's not too bad considering he hadn't run since March!

Here is the newest member of Carole's Crew!

Steve and Lucas enjoying some clam chowder after their 4th place finish.

Carole's Crew 2011

Christine and Maya

The complete Pevznamian family!

This is my last week home with the kids. I start back to work full time next Wednesday. I'm filled with a lot of emotions and am hoping everything goes smoothly. I keep telling Lucas he has to look out for his sister at daycare. He just smiles and says "sista" and rubs her head. Aww..what a good big brother.

2 Months!

2011-08-24T07:30:00.007-04:00

Sydney turned 2 months last week! She weighed in at 13 pounds 5 ounces and is 24 inches long. It was her first round of vaccines and she did better than I expected.

For those of you who don't know, Sydney is a bit fussy. When I say "a bit fussy" I mean she screams for hours and nothing can settle her down. Since I am nursing, I gave up all dairy foods because I heard it can give the baby gas. She is actually doing a lot better. I'm hoping to start having dairy soon since my body can only go so long without Dairy Queen!

We have been having a lot of fun these past weekends. Here are some photos:

Lucas and Eli goofing around in Maine.

Lucas enjoying lobster!

We went to an air show on Saturday. Lucas loved it! And,there is a small possibility that Lucas may be in the newspaper again. A photographer for a local paper took his picture. We'll find out soon if he made the cut.

On Sunday we went to the Armenian picnic where Lucas got a dog painted on his face and stuffed his mouth with rice pilaf and lamb kabob!

Bath Time!

2011-08-10T13:29:00.002-04:00

11 Pounds of Love

2011-07-21T13:52:00.007-04:00

Sydney just turned a month and weighed in at 11 pounds 1 ounce. She doesn't even fit into some of her 0-3 month clothes! Lucas better watch out she's going to start stealing food off his plate.

Well, having two children is challenging to say the least. When Steve is home it is manageable but the problem is Steve doesn't have one of those 9 to 5 jobs. It almost laughable trying to bathe Lucas with Sydney strapped to me while I'm trying my best not to bang her head on the sink or tub. Lucas has been really good though. He likes to point out to everyone that Sydney is his sister and he always waves and says hello to her.

Sydney already has a strong personality to say the least. In other words, she cries a lot. I've been trying everything. Right now, she's a mama's girl and likes to cuddle with me all the time. Hopefully she'll feel a little more "at home" in the world soon so her brother doesn't have to bang on the wall when she's crying.

My Big Girl!

2011-07-10T20:42:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posting but, you know, I have a 2 1/2 year old and a 3 week old. Not much gets done around here except for diaper changing and feedings. Anyway, when we brought Sydney in for her check-up she weighed 9 pounds 1 ounce. The doctor weighed her twice because he couldn't believe that she gained 15 ounces in a week! He said they look for newborns to gain about 7 ounces in a week. Sydney doubled the expected weight. He suggested I bottle and sell my milk supply since there was so much. No thanks.

Our friend, Jenn, came by to take some pictures of the kids. She a great photographer and friend and she took gorgeous pics! Take a look at her website: http://jennalton.wordpress.com/2011/07/06/the-arrival-of-sydney-page/

More pictures of Sydney

2011-06-29T13:33:00.003-04:00

Holly came to visit last weekend and took some great photos.

It's a Girl!

2011-06-21T16:03:00.009-04:00

As some of you probably know, our new bundle of joy has arrived! Here is the story. I had been quite uncomfortable these past few weeks. My darling husband thought that getting me a massage might relax me and jump start labor. On Friday, I had a great massage but no labor pains. So on Saturday we all went to a birthday party on a farm where Lucas got to feed sheep and ride a pony. Once Lucas went down for his nap I decided to get some errands done. I still felt fine and figured I better take advantage of my free time.

At the same time Steve was putting up a fence in the backyard so Lucas would be contained this summer! While watching, I felt a gush of water. I told Steve "I think my water broke and we'll have to leave soon." He asked if he could finish up that part of the fence since we couldn't leave until Donna got to the house anyway. As soon as Donna got to the house, we were off to the hospital. I was so worried about Lucas and rushing off but I later found out that he did really well and I was nervous for nothing. My contractions had already started but they weren't as bad as I remembered from Lucas so I thought we had some time.

We walked up to the maternity ward, where they asked me all sorts of questions, hooked me up to monitors, and asked me to rate my pain. At first I said a "5" but it quickly jumped to a "7." The doctor took a look at me and said I was already 8 1/2 cm dilated and he would check back. Well after a few minutes the nurse had the doctor check back because the pain was getting worse. Sure enough, I was ready to push but too far along to get any pain meds. Needless to say, My water broke at 3:30 and Sydney Paige Shahnamian was born at 7. If you know my sister's birth story, you realize the Pevzner ladies don't mess around when it comes to giving birth. Maybe it was the massage?

Sydney is absolutely perfect and measured much bigger than her brother did at birth. She weighed 8 pounds 6 ounces and was 20 inches long! Everyone is adjusting well and Lucas likes being a big brother. He keeps bringing her toys to play with in her bassinet. It's very sweet and the Pevznamian family is now complete!

Oh. and congrats to my friend Megan who won the baby pool. Sydney was even born on her birthday! Thank you to all who played.

Baby?

2011-06-11T08:14:00.003-04:00

Each morning this past week Lucas has come into our bedroom and peeked into the bassinet. Then he turns to us and asks "baby?" We keep telling him not yet. "Why?" he asks. Steve and I explained the baby isn't ready yet but will be here soon. Then Lucas runs to the door, points, and says "baby, door?" Luke thinks because the baby isn't in the bassinet yet that he/she will be coming through the door. Out of the mouths of babes....

Pictures from Memorial Day and Playdates

2011-06-05T07:28:00.007-04:00

Lucas and Michael had a great time at the beach in Rockport. Lucas is now obsessed with Michael and asks about him daily!

A big mess in the sandbox.

Sleeping after a long day out in the sun.

Future prom dates Lucas and Maya?

Family Visit = Baby's Room Finished!

2011-05-25T18:20:00.009-04:00

Holly (and family) came to visit last weekend to help us (me) finish the baby's room. If you know my sister she is a miracle worker. She didn't disappoint on this visit either. She went through all the old baby clothes from Lucas, organized all the toys, and helped decorate the baby's room. I couldn't/wouldn't have finished the room without her...seriously. Plus the cousins had a great time playing together and watching them communicate was a hoot. To finish the weekend out my dad, Myra, and my uncle visited too. I think I need a vacation from my weekend.

Baby's room!

You're running out of time people. Lucas was born at 37 weeks and I am already 36 weeks. Vote soon for a chance to win a Target gift card.

Updates

2011-04-30T20:34:00.005-04:00

Here are some of the highlights over the past two weeks (in no particular order).

* Lucas has transitioned into his toddler bed!

* Steve cut his stomach with a saw and had to get 9 stitches.

* Lucas figured out how to open the sliding glass door (without our knowledge). I found him playing outside one morning while I was in the bathroom.

* The main plumbing pipe broke and crap (literally) was all over our basement floor. Steve spent all weekend fixing it.

* The walls are up in the baby's room and bathroom. The painters are coming next week!

* Lucas fell at daycare and fractured his arm. He has to wear a sling for two weeks.

How have the past two weeks been for you?

Don't forget...

Spring?

2011-04-23T09:40:00.011-04:00

It's technically spring but we haven't enjoyed much nice weather lately. Lucas and I had the week off and spent most of the time in our winter coats! Despite the cold weather we enjoyed the week with a bunch of play dates.

The house is coming along nicely. We had plaster people come today and the painters are coming next week. Lucas loves it and helps Steve will all the projects. I just want the baby's room and bathroom to be done so I can get it ready before the newest addition comes in June. Speaking of projects, poor Steve cut his stomach with a saw this week. Luckily he only needed 9 stitches and will be fine. I told him the next time we go to the emergency room better be to deliver the baby. I don't want to be bringing him or Lucas there anymore!

I've also been looking for a used bassinet for the baby. We didn't use one for Lucas but I think it will be easier to have the baby in a small bassinet rather than the Pack N Play in our bedroom. I'm always a bit skeptical to go to someones house when buying off Craigslist. So, Christine offered to drive to the place and wait outside with Lucas and her two girls. I had he number on speed dial just in case. But,everything worked out great. The bassinet was in great shape and the seller wasn't a serial killer. Win, win!

Steve and I couldn't decide which lovies to buy for the new baby. I was thinking of a giraffe but Steve wanted a tiger. So, we compromised and bought monkeys. Aren't they cute?

Hospital Visit and Demo

2011-04-03T13:32:00.006-04:00

The day after I posted last, Steve brought Lucas to the doctors. The poor thing just couldn't keep anything down and was sleeping a lot. The doc weighed him and found he lost 10% of his body weight so he had to be admitted to the hospital. Lucas was a trooper with the IV and being poked and prodded. They only allow one parent to stay overnight so Lucas and I shared a hospital bed. The poor thing had an IV in one arm and his 6 month pregnant mother on the other side. Luckily the medicine kicked in and we were discharged the next day. Of course, I knew he was feeling better once he smiled at me and dumped his Cheerios all over the floor and then turned on the shower and sprayed the entire bathroom. I hope the next time I am in the hospital is to deliver baby number 2! So, we got discharged on Saturday but couldn't stay at our house. We are putting in a third bedroom and remodeling our bathroom. Steve and his buddies were there demolishing most of the house. All I wanted to do was take a shower (we had no bathroom) and take a nap (there was too much noise). Luckily our friends, Donna and Joe took us in for the night.

Lucas has bounced back quite quickly and loves the house. He keeps asking "What happened?" and then asks "broken?" I just say we are fixing the house so it looks nice and it is OK if things are broken. I'll post pictures soon of the remodeling work but it is coming along great.

http://www.expectnet.com/games/Pevznamianbaby2

Party and Puke

2011-03-24T12:35:00.008-04:00

We had a fun weekend with a play date and a party. Last Sunday we ventured up north to Michael's 3rd birthday party. In the past, Michael and Lucas didn't interact too much. So, it was fun watching them play together and hold toddler conversations. Here are some pics!
Lucas is very happy to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in the shape of a fish!
All hugs at the party! Two goofballs!

The fun came to a screeching halt on Tuesday when I got a call at work saying Lucas was throwing up. The poor thing has been sick every since. Steve took Wednesday off and I am off today looking after the sick boy. Hopefully he gets better this weekend since him and I have to relocate for a day or two. Steve and his buddies are taking down walls, demolishing our bathroom, and ripping down some of the vinyl siding for our remodel. Lucas and I have to get out of the debris that will be flying all over the house. Wish us luck!

Don't forget to place your bet:

Fun Game

2011-03-06T07:44:00.007-05:00

I totally stole this idea from Christine but I thought it would be fun for our baby too! It's a game where you guess the sex, birth date, height, and weight of the new baby. If your guess comes closest you will win a $25 gift card from Target. If there happens to be a tie, the two winners will each get a $15 gift card from Target. So what are you waiting for? Give it a try!

February Vacation

2011-02-26T19:55:00.010-05:00

Usually during this time of year I am itching for a vacation but since we had so many snow days I didn't really feel like that this time around. Nevertheless, Lucas and I had a fun filled week. The first part of the week started with a surprise visit from Holly and fam. Apparently they were bored in New York and thought they'd take a road trip to visit. Lucas had a ball playing with his cousin and was completely wiped out by the time they left on Sunday.

The Pevznamian family made their first visit to the Boston Aquarium. Lucas' favorite part was sitting on a bronze turtle, Steve's favorite part was watching two penguins humping, and my favorite part was going to Legal Sea Foods for lunch (and actually getting to sit and enjoy the entire meal).

Lucas is a Star!

2011-02-13T06:56:00.002-05:00

Lucas got his picture in Baystate Parent Magazine! Our friend, Jenn, took pictures at his 2nd party and posted them on her photography website page. Someone from the magazine saw the picture of Lucas and asked to use it for their "celebrate birthdays" issue. Of course, Steve and I jumped at the chance for Lucas to be published! Thank you Jenn!

The Littlest Shahnamian

2011-02-02T19:44:00.005-05:00

Steve and I went to get the 20 week ultrasound last week. The docs said it may take a while since I am an "older" mom but it only ended up being about 40 minutes. They said everything looked great!

If you remember we didn't find out the sex of the baby the first time around and I don't want to this time around either. It's killing Steve so I told him if he could figure out the sex of the baby during the ultrasound than that was fine. But, the little one wasn't cooperating much and even the tech couldn't tell Steve the sex. I guess Steve will have to wait until June to find out - just like the rest of us.

Snow!

2011-01-28T20:14:00.003-05:00

For those of you not living in New England here is some perspective on how much snow we've gotten.

Lucas' 2nd Birthday Party

2011-01-21T11:10:00.014-05:00

You would think after having 3 snow days over the past 2 weeks that I would've been able to update this blog sooner. Oh well. Lucas enjoyed his "tool" themed party with some close friends and family.

Here is a picture of the cake. Unfortunately, I messed up the cake on Friday night so poor Steve went out and bought one. I was bummed because I wanted to make Lucas' cake. We added the tools to go with the theme. And, Lucas didn't care. All he tasted was sugar so it didn't matter to him who made it.

As you can see Lucas enjoyed it!

I even bought gummy tools just to go along with the theme!
The "toolbox" gift bags..
Some of his friends playing with the presents
Our friend, Jenn, happens to be a professional photographer. We were lucky enough to have her take these pictures at the party. She posted a few on Facebook and someone from Boston Parents Magazine noticed them. They want to use a picture of Lucas in their next issue! I will post when it is published. Maybe Lucas can be a model and support his parents?

The Powell Family Visits

2011-01-02T06:43:00.003-05:00

We had a nice family visit from Holly and her family last week. Here are some pics from the chaos.

I love this picture of Theo!

Here are various pictures of the kids stealing food from one another.

Renaming the blog?

2010-12-27T19:48:00.004-05:00

For those of you who haven't heard yet, Lucas wants to tell you something.

Should I rename the blog to Pevznamian babies? Technically Lucas isn't a baby anymore and there is only one baby coming (the ultrasound proved that). I have until June to figure it out!

Lucas meet Santa

2010-12-24T07:25:00.004-05:00

Donna and I took Lucas to meet Santa yesterday. I really hadn't talked to Luke about Santa too much so I was curious to see what he would do. Well this is what he did.

It was probably my fault because I just plopped Lucas on Santa's lap and walked away. He might have thought I was leaving him with this old guy in a red suit.

I sat with him for the next picture.
As you can see, this one was a lot better. Happy holidays!

Lucas is 2!

2010-12-22T20:52:00.004-05:00

Today is Lucas' 2nd birthday! I can't believe it has been two years already. It seems like yesterday that Steve was telling me to go back to bed because I "just ate something funny."

We gave Lucas a tool bench in the morning. He must have loved it because he didn't eat any breakfast which is highly unusual for my boy.

We celebrated a bit more once we got home. He thoroughly enjoyed his cupcake and opening more presents. He kept walking around saying "2." But, he could have been saying that because he wanted 2 cupcakes!

Thanksgiving

2010-11-27T10:34:00.003-05:00

Lucas enjoyed his second Thanksgiving. Do you know what he liked the best? It wasn't the turkey or the cranberries or the stuffing. The kid loved Steve's homemade squash/carrot soup. He sucked it down like there was no tomorrow. He also liked the apple pie with vanilla ice cream but that's a given.

Other than enjoying stuffing his face Lucas has been giving us a run for our money. A few weeks back Steve went out at night and I was in the shower. After getting out of the shower, I hear "mama." I told Lucas to go back to bed and I would see him in the morning. Then I heard the door knob rattle. Umm...Steve was out and Lucas was supposed to be in his crib. I opened the door to find Lucas standing there. I swiftly put him back in his crib and told him to go to sleep. Needless to say he climbed out of his crib 2 other times that night. Luckily, Steve is is handy and the next night Steve put on a crib tent to curb this behavior. It has worked and he hasn't climbed out since! I know some people put their kids in a crib as soon as they crawl out but we felt he wasn't ready. We're going to keep him in his crib for as long as possible. So far, it has worked.

Can you believe Lucas will be 2 next month? Geesh! Where does the time go?

Halloween!

2010-10-31T16:06:00.012-04:00

My favorite holiday was this weekend and we had a blast. We (I) decided to dress as the Incredibles family. I was Mrs. Incredible, Steve was Mr. Incredible and Lucas was Dash. We actually decided on other costumes but we found out about a Superhero 5K run on Halloween so we changed our costumes into our favorite superhero family.

Our holiday weekend began with our first annual Halloween party for kids. We asked our friends with little ones to come over to celebrate. Luckily the weather held out and everyone had a blast. The biggest hit of the party was our pirate ship. No, we didn't rent a pirate ship but we turned our canoe into a pirate ship. How you ask. Well I came up with the idea and Steve executed it. He built a plank over the canoe where the kids would jump into a pool of small balls. We accessorized with some pirate flags from IParty. We both laughed when the ship was pretty much destroyed after only 9 minutes after the kids got a hold of it. But, they enjoyed it and that's what counts.

On Halloween morning we woke up bright and early to run the Superhero 5k with our friends, Susan and Jason. Susan dressed up as Violet Incredible to join our family! None of us really were that enthused to wake up early and run in costume, but it was worth it. There were some great costumes at the race. Jason won best male costume! We had a good run and then enjoyed some Mexican food. Isn't eating Mexican food a tradition on Halloween for everyone?

Finally the weekend came to a close with some good ol' trick and treating. Of course, Steve and I decided to wear our costumes just one more time. We just went to a few houses around our neighborhood where I coaxed Lucas to take the chocolate candy for his me. Lucas was a big help this year and handed out candy to all the trick or treaters. We had a great/exhausting weekend but it was worth every minute.

For some more good news: Steve passed his plumbing test and is officially a plumber. I passed the physical education teaching test and hopefully will have a new position come fall. Yahoo!

Spectacular September

2010-10-02T15:19:00.012-04:00

I realized I haven't blogged in a while so there's a lot you haven't heard. I haven't been to the Big E in years (New England's largest fair) but we thought we would check it out this year. Since the Big E is always packed, I made Steve go out and buy a leash/harness for Lucas. He's at that age where he doesn't always want to sit in his stroller but he also runs away. The Big E is way too crowded for us to take a chance Lucas would get lost so we tried the leash. Let me tell you it was some of the best 30 bucks ever spent. Lucas loved walking around and we had peace of mind knowing he couldn't get lost.

We also met Holly, Nate, and the kids at the Big E. Theo and Lucas had a good time sharing food.

The weekend after the Big E we went on a traditional New England outing...apple picking! This is Lucas' second venture apple picking and he loved having a plethora of food to pick off trees for hours! The adults loved the wine tastings at the orchard.

Last Monday Lucas woke up with a red mark over his lip. Steve and I thought it looked like a bruise so we assumed that he hit his lip in his crib. After a few days of the bruise not improving and in fact, getting worse, we went to the doctors. At first the doctor wasn't sure what to diagnose but after further investigation he said it was impetigo (a common skin infection). He prescribed an ointment and he's getting better everyday! Take a look at his upper lip and yes, he is in a lobster pot (by choice).

Annual Ovarian Cancer 5k

2010-09-12T15:32:00.004-04:00

Steve and I have been running in the same Ovarian Cancer 5k for 10 years in honor of my mom. We haven't missed a year and don't intend to anytime soon. This year we gathered some friends to join Carole's Crew (the name of our team) to either run or walk the 3.2 miles. We had a great turnout despite the colder weather and we're very thankful for all our friends who support this great cause.

The night before the race Steve spent at least an hour prepping the running stroller. Steve was in his "competitive mode" and wanted to beat everyone. He removed the storage unit under the stroller (it weighs it down) and removed Lucas' food tray. Well I guess it worked because Steve came in 4th overall and 1st in his age group. Yet again he earned a trophy for his hard work. I didn't do too shabby either and ran a 8:28 minute mile and finished a little over 26 minutes. I'll take it. It's the best I've run since Lucas has been born. All you mothers out there know how hard it is to come back after a baby.

Hopefully next year we'll have an even bigger crew!

Last Trip of the Summer

2010-09-06T14:52:00.009-04:00

Last weekend, we ventured to Lakeville for Steve's triathlon. Steve has been training for this race for months. It's a huge milestone for him for a couple of reasons. 1. He hasn't done a triathlon in four years. 2. His boss was competing in the same race. If you've ever met my husband you know he is the competitive type. There was no way he was going to let his boss beat him. He trained hard but neither of us expected him to come in 35th overall! Lucas was very proud of his daddy and he kicked his boss's ass. The three of us stayed in a RV for the weekend. If you've ever seen an RV there isn't much floor space. We had to figure out where Lucas would sleep. If he slept in the beds in front, he could climb out. Lucas takes after both parents and doesn't sit still for more than five minutes. We decided to put Lucas' Pack N Play on top of the bed in the back of the camper. We also knew that Lucas would try to climb out of it or knock it over. Steve brought moving belts and secured the Pack N Play to the RV. It worked even through Lucas swinging off one of the belts over the bed securing it in place. Lucas loved the campground. They had this thing called a bounce pillow. It's basically this big blow up toy that kids can jump on. Lucas would jump on this thing with anyone. Some little girls took a liking to Lucas and jumped with him for at least 40 minutes. Our philosophy is "he can do anything he wants as long as it's safe and it tires him out!" On the last day of our trip we drove to Edaville Railroad. This place has to be one of the cutest places I have ever seen. It is basically a kid's amusement park. The day we went Thomas the Train was there and we took a train ride all around the park. Lucas loved it! It was fun watching him go on rides by himself. He's such a happy kid but on most of the rides he looked so serious. I know he liked the rides though, because he cried when we stopped him from going on the Red Baron ride for the 3rd time.

Reality is back...school started last week. Even though Lucas exhausts me, I will miss being with him all day :(

Steve's 40th Party

2010-08-23T12:41:00.005-04:00

A few weeks back I hosted a party for Steve's big 4-0 birthday. I rented out a picnic site on Hopkinton State Park and invited his closest friends/family to celebrate the big day. Have you ever tried hosting a party at a site other than your house? It's tough. You have to remember to bring everything you could possibly need with you. Luckily I make lists, lists, and more lists to remember everything. I'm even luckier because Steve's friend, Jason, helped by running the bbq so I could set up. I also made him a scrapbook of memories with entries (pictures, stories, and poems) from his friends and family. The book came out great and Steve loved it too! I was exhausted after the busy day but it was worth it. Now it's time to plan the Halloween party....

Water Baby

2010-08-12T06:44:00.004-04:00

Here are some pictures of Lucas playing with the hose. We did have Steve's big 40th birthday bash this past weekend. I will post about that soon.

Steve's Triathlon

2010-08-01T19:33:00.010-04:00

Before Lucas came into our lives Steve and I used to race (running and triathlons) quite often. Once Lucas was born our priorities shifted a bit not leaving much time to train. We're not like most people, we enjoy waking up early on a Sunday and running a 5k race. So today Lucas and I (Leah and Domenic too) cheered on Steve for his first triathlon in 4 years! Lucas loved playing with all the expensive bikes and shaking his cow bell. Steve did awesome and has another one at the end of the month.

After the race today!

Dad thought it would be funny to give him a mohawk in the bath.
Enjoying a relaxing dinner.
Lucas and Domenic (2 months)

Summer Fun

2010-07-30T07:27:00.006-04:00

Here are some photos and videos from our summer:

The Plane, The Plane

2010-07-21T13:32:00.004-04:00

After a very rough fourth of July week, Lucas and I headed to North Carolina for a mini-vacation. My friend and her family rented a house on the Outerbanks and asked us to join them. Since Steve doesn't get much time off he stayed home to work.

I was a bit apprehensive taking Lucas on a plane for a few reasons:

1. He still had a cough.

2. I didn't know if his ears would hurt.

3. He had to sit still on my lap.
4. I was by myself with an 18 month old.

5. We had to transfer planes.

Overall, it went pretty well. The biggest obstacle was #3 from above. He couldn't have cared less about take off or landing but he did not like sitting on my lap for a long period of time. I tried giving him lollipops, watching a dvd, new toys, snacks, etc. But those would only hold his interest for a few moments. Luckily the flight attendants were pretty helpful and let Lucas run up and down the aisle. He was so tired out from all that running that on our 2nd flight from D.C. to Norfolk he actually fell asleep on the lady next to me. The way home was a bit more stressful with a 2 1/2 hour delay. But we made it.

Lucas loved the beach house! He must have spent hours climbing up and down the stairs. Since the beach was only walking distance away we went everyday. Lucas liked running in and out of the water but wasn't sure what to make of the waves. The beach toys and sand were a big hit though!

I think I need a vacation from my vacation!

Just Sad

2010-07-04T19:58:00.002-04:00

Today Lucas lost his last grandmother. Gale, my dad's wife, died today after a long battle with cancer. My dad already lost his first wife, my mom, and now Gale. It's just plain unfair. It's just sad. We'll miss you Grammy Gale.

Father's Day

2010-06-20T20:12:00.007-04:00

I asked Steve what he wanted for Father's Day and he replied "the whole family to run in a 5k." Most dads wouldn't make this strange request but most dads aren't my husband. We did some research and found a family friendly 5k in Hopkinton. Steve did awesome! He was the first runner to cross the finish line pushing a stroller. I don't know how he does it. I did better than I thought but not as good as I used to be. I guess that's what happens when you have a child and work full time. Running 5 times a week goes by the waste side and you run when you can. We had so much fun and it motivated Steve and I to run more races together.

Today, we had Steve's dad and my dad over for lunch. It was nice to get everyone over for a relaxing meal. Lucas slept for 3 hours during their visit but both grandfathers got to spend some quality time with him.

Lucas really is enjoying Father's Day!

Oh...Lucas is now saying "ball." It is so cute!

First Bout with Meds

2010-06-13T13:13:00.007-04:00

I got a call from daycare on Tuesday saying Lucas' cough was getting worse and he had a fever. After the pediatrician examined Lucas, he wasn't sure if it was asthma, pneumonia, allergies, or the common cold. Lucas had to have a nebulizer treatment to rule out asthma. After the treatment, the doc concluded that Lucas had a slight case of pneumonia. He rallied like a trooper as we waiting to fill his prescription for a 1/2 hour. However, that night wasn't so fun. Lucas literally did not sleep. We tried everything and finally Steve took Lucas out in the car to see if sitting upright would help him sleep. Well it did help him sleep but as soon as Steve pulled in the driveway, Lucas woke up. Steve took the next day off to watch Lucas so I was like a walking zombie at work. As a working mom you do what you have to do. Lucas is feeling much better and is sleeping through the night again!

Before Lucas' sickness we went to the Southwick's Zoo with some friends. He seemed to enjoy jumping in the puddles more than the animals but I guess that's typical of a 17 month old. Probably the best part of the day was in the petting zoo. He was chasing around the goats and trying to pet them. He even tried to put his head on them like you would with a pillow. The goats really didn't like that too much. I wish I could figure out how to download video to the new computer so you can see it. Oh well maybe I'll try to figure it out during summer vacation (which is in 5 days!)

He really is enjoying the zoo!

This is the best we could manage for a Pevznamian family photo!

Our Little Fish

2010-05-29T19:57:00.007-04:00

On this gorgeous Saturday we traveled to Rockport for a beach trip to meet up with Matt, Aletta, and Olivia. We brought Lucas to the beach last summer but it was very different this year since he can now walk. Let me tell you....he LOVED the water. It couldn't have been more than 55 degrees in the water but it didn't seem to bother him at all. But his washed up parents had to take turns standing in the water with him because our feet would go numb after a few minutes. Today was a foreshadowing of my summer.

I attached a few pictures of Lucas' new hobby. His new hobby is having his father pull him along in the sled. The neighbors may think we're a bit weird since there is obviously no snow on the ground, yet my family is still having fun with a sled!

Busy, Busy!

2010-05-14T20:09:00.011-04:00

The past two weeks have been super busy for everyone in the Pevznamian family. On May 5th Steve turned 40! I've been enjoying harassing him over his age but in reality, he looks and feels great. It didn't even phase him he hit the big 4-0. We celebrated with hot dogs and ice cream cake! I am not sure who liked the cake more, Lucas or Steve?

Since Steve usually dresses Lucas in the morning, I thought it would be a cute surprise if Lucas was wearing something special for his daddy's birthday. Check out his shirt:

Last weekend we ventured to Brooklyn to celebrate Eli's 1st birthday. Lucas does pretty well in the car and just got a bit antsy toward the end (but so did his parents). It was interesting to watch the 3 little guys in action -Theo is 3, Lucas is 16 months and Eli is 1. Even though is was Eli's birthday, Holly and family didn't forget Steve. They even bought Steve a special birthday cupcake and made him a birthday hat! We had a great/exhausting time! Lucas actually said "cup" to his Auntie Holly and drank from a juice box for the first time.

A 26 Pounder

2010-04-23T12:35:00.015-04:00

Lucas had his 15 month appointment on Wednesday (even though he's 16 months). The doc said he was healthy and could tell Lucas had a good appetite! Lucas weighs 26 pounds (75th percentile) and is 31 inches long (50th percentile). Lucas uses sippy cups all day but I still give him a bottle at night. Not because he needs one to fall asleep, but because I am paranoid and think he doesn't get enough milk. The doctor assured me that he will drink less milk through the sippy cup but he's getting enough. The good news: I stopped giving him a bottle at night and he did just fine. At times Steve and I are more nervous about transitions than Lucas. Lucas usually adapts pretty well, it's his parents that have to work on it. Before Lucas was born I told Steve that I hoped the baby wouldn't be a tv watcher/couch potato but would like the outdoors. Steve said I should be careful what I wished for! Well, my wish has come true. Lucas wakes up around 6 and he grabs my hand and walks to the door. That is his way of telling me that he wants to go outside. It is proceeded with me running around trying to get dressed, feed him breakfast, and get out the door before he breaks down. We have spent pretty much all week outside. He loves his new sandbox and swing set. But, most of all he is curious as to what the neighbors (or anyone on the street) is doing. He grabs my hand and walks over to our neighbor's yards. Most people like talking to Lucas and I'm pretty sure I am going to get calls from Lucas' teacher telling me he is a social butterfly.

Steve was helping out our neighbors directly behind us last weekend. Poor Lucas loves being with his daddy and gets sad when Steve leaves. Since you could see Steve working on the neighbor's house, Lucas crawled on a toolbox, looked out the window, waved to Steve, and yelled dadda off and on all afternoon. I thought it was super cute.

Steve bought Lucas a plastic, blue chair that he found in an Asian market. Lucas loves it! For the 3 minutes a day he actually sits down (not counting meal times), he parks it right on the blue chair.
He also learned how to open the cabinet, take out a Nurti-grain bar, open it, and eat it. One night after dinner he was playing around in the kitchen and then is was too quiet. When I went in, Lucas was nibbling on a bar. He starting throwing a fit because he thought I would take it away from him. I just wanted to open the whole a bit bigger so he wasn't pushing the bar through a 2 millimeter whole.

He also loves watermelon. Steve was cutting some up for him and Lucas kept grunting and pointing telling us he wanted more. Since we ran out, Steve gave him the watermelon rind. Below is a picture of him gnawing on it. I'll be sure and show his prom date this picture.

For Your Viewing Pleasure

2010-04-18T07:07:00.003-04:00

Spring time!

2010-04-04T19:56:00.006-04:00

We've had another busy week. It started off pretty badly with me taking Lucas to the doctor. The poor thing was just miserable, which is very unlike him. His nose was stuffed up so we thought it could be a sinus infection or an ear infection. Luckily the doc said everything was clear but he had 3 things going against him: getting a cold, getting molars, and having bad diaper rash. I guess with those 3 things I would be miserable too. Lucas is a trooper and bounced right back for our busy weekend.

We went to Agawam on Saturday to visit Lucas' great granny who is going to be 98 on Wednesday! Steve and I were so proud of him since he had to sit in a car for 1 1/2 hours and then go to a nursing home. He actually sat with granny and even shared his Cheerios with her. I know he won't remember any of this but it made granny's day. I still can't believe she's going to be 98.

Then we went to visit dad and Gale. He was getting a bit antsy but he enjoyed walking around their house. Lucas also had pizza for the first time. And, you guessed it, he loved it! He also loved grabbing everything grandpa and grammy Gale had around their house. I swear chasing him around is more tiring than running the Boston Marathon!

On Easter Lucas woke up to find his Easter basket. To be honest, he really wasn't that excited but he enjoyed shaking the plastic eggs. I filled the eggs with either Cheerios or Goldfish crackers. He liked opening them and throwing them all over the floor. After the opening of the Easter basket, the Pevznamian family went on a bike ride and then had Steve's family over for dinner. We played for hours on the new swing set and Lucas LOVED going down the slide. Now we are all exhausted. Good night.

Steve's, I mean Lucas', New Toy

2010-03-28T20:52:00.003-04:00

Since last weekend we got a taste of spring, Steve bought a bike trailer off Craigslist. We haven't been biking since Lucas was born but we thought this would be a good activity to keep us healthy. Lucas loved it! He feel asleep about 10 minutes into the ride, but we could tell he loved it. We're all looking forward to the warmer weather to play in Lucas' sandbox and swing set (all bought on Craigslist)! Have I mentioned how much I love Craigslist yet? I mean there is no sense in spending hundreds of dollars on outdoor toys that Lucas won't even remember. Steve and I are all about the used goods.

The little one is now down to one nap a day but it doesn't always go smoothly. On Saturday, we met up with Jason and Susan for brunch in Boston and Lucas feel asleep in the car. Once he falls asleep it throws his whole schedule off. Steve and I were commenting on how just when we think we have Lucas' routine down pat, it changes. But I guess that's what parenting is all about.

Walking!!

2010-03-13T18:20:00.002-05:00

The boy is walking!! He has taken some steps over the past few weeks but yesterday he walked across the living room. It is unbelievable to watch him accomplish these milestones. It seems like yesterday I had to support his neck to feed him!

Today the Pevznamian family went to the Children's Museum. He loved watching the other kids but especially loved the water room. For Steve and I it was a different experience watching him walk around. We're so used to carrying him or pushing him in the stroller that it was nice to give our strained backs a break. As you can see from the videos and photos he's not that little anymore. Can't wait for the next milestone!

Tickling Torture

2010-03-06T09:13:00.002-05:00

The Never Ending Pit

2010-02-28T11:25:00.004-05:00

My son has a never ending pit for a stomach. On Saturday Lucas ate a great breakfast (cereal bar, banana, blueberries and yogurt). I also fed him a descent lunch (chicken, avocado, strawberries, and pasta). A few hours after lunch Lucas was (surprise) hungry again! Steve gave him some cheerios and another cereal bar. Finally for dinner he gobbled down turkey, avocado, rice, and kiwi. Lucas was getting antsy after filling his belly so we let him out of his high chair. Since Matt, Aletta, and Olivia came over for dinner we assumed Lucas would be fine playing with his toys while we finished eating. But, Lucas decided he was STILL hungry and went over to Olivia's chair and grabbed food off her tray. Luckily Olivia was a good sport and laughed about it. I guess I should buy an extra refrigerator now to get ready for the teenage years.

I'm also taking my first graduate course since having Lucas. Wish me luck with balancing teaching, class, and motherhood!

Bye Bye Curls

2010-02-24T20:10:00.002-05:00

Due to Steve's nagging about getting Lucas' haircut, I finally gave in. The hairdresser was definitely better than the last one we went to but Lucas wasn't too happy. He no longer looks like a baby but more like a toddler. Sad.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-16T07:08:00.014-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posts lately but with the 1 hour of down time I get a day writing a post gets pushed down the list of priorities. But, we've had some excitement over the last few weeks.

1. Lucas took 3 steps on his own the other day! He loves the whole side-step while holding on to furniture thing but not a huge fan of just using his legs to get around. We're not rushing it though, once this kid can walk he is simply going to run.

2. The Pevznamian family has gone to a couple of restaurants without bringing Lucas any food. We used to have to chop up table food and bring baby food. It was a big production. Now, Steve and I usually order something that we know he can eat and share with him. As you may have guessed..he loves it! For Valentine's Day we went to a great Greek restaurant in town and Lucas devoured most of Steve's lamb kabobs.

3. He tried peanut butter for the first time and, of course, loved it. The doc told us to hold off until he was a year to try this good stuff. We gave a Lucas a small, spoon filled with it and he was licking the spoon clean.

4. He has officially stopped using bottles and is only using sippy cups. I thought this transition would be a bit more difficult but he didn't even seemed phased by it. Hopefully all the upcoming transitions will go just as smoothly.

5. Lucas has broken just about every child proof lock we put in the house. They either don't work or he just pulls them apart. Steve decided instead of spending more money he would just make them. He carved some wood and stuck it between the handles. Unless Lucas learns karate anytime soon, there is no way he can break the wood. Right?

6. Steve and I starting throwing the ball to Lucas. At first he would just watch it go by but now he tries to stop it and he throws it back. Maybe we have a future baseball player on our hands?!?!?

7. Craigslist has become our new best friend. For those of you who don't know what Craigslist is, it is an online site where people sell their used stuff. Since spring is right around the corner we looked into buying a sandbox and swing set at Target. Now Target has reasonable prices but, man, they were expensive. So we decided to look on Craigslist for used outdoor stuff instead. Our luck paid off and we got a cute frog sandbox with a cover for $5 and a swing set with slide (which retails for $500) for only $80! Now all we need is the warm weather.

13 months!

2010-01-31T11:12:00.006-05:00

I'm not sure if Lucas is considered a toddler now, but he's 13 months old! Holly is only 13 months younger than I am and I can't fathom how my parents raised two girls that close in age. Lucas is gaining more independence, but he's still very needy. I can't even imagine having a baby born when he is this young. But, people do it and survive. Kudos to them but 13 months is too close for comfort for me.

Lucas' new thing is to climb into laundry baskets (preferably full of clothes) and hang out. I attached some pictures of him just chillin' drinking his bottle in a basket. It's funny to watch but slightly annoying when he throws the folded clothes onto the floor. He can also reach doorknobs now. I can see him getting frustrated trying to figure out how to use it. It won't be long before he's getting into rooms and destroying everything. I guess Steve and I have to work on baby proofing doors next. We'll put it on the never ending list....

Steve and I had a date night last weekend! It was nice to relax and not worry about diapers, naps, and feeding schedules. We're getting spoiled because we also got to go out this Saturday! Steve's dad, Matt, Aletta, and baby Olivia came over for dinner. Usually Steve is the cook of the Pevznamian household but I took the reigns on this one. It took me a few hours but the lasagna and meatballs came out great! Well, I think they came out great since no one complained to my face. Once dinner was over, we got to do a few errands and get some drinks. We're going out again next weekend for a party. Steve and I are living the high life!

Pictures

2010-01-21T06:44:00.006-05:00

I guess there has been trouble downloading some photos from Lucas's party. Here are a few:

Another birthday party

2010-01-18T14:03:00.007-05:00

Steve and I (and Lucas too) shouldn't complain since last Thursday night was the first time that Lucas has ever been sick. The poor kid had a temp of 103! I stayed home from work on Friday to take care of the bugger. Even for a sick kid, he really wasn't that bad (he even slept through the night!) The temp was back to normal Friday night and he was back to his old, perky self.

After his recovery, we loaded up the car and headed to NY for Theo's 3rd birthday. Lucas enjoyed playing with the kids and having another slice of cake. He was a trooper again even after missing his afternoon nap.

We thought it was too much traveling in one day so we opted for a hotel in Brooklyn. A suite in a hotel is a bit expensive so we all stayed in one room. Since the room was so small, the Pack and Play was right next to the bed. Lucas goes to bed at 7 so Steve and I just sat still on the bed pretending to sleep. But, it was hard not to laugh. We wouldn't hear anything so we'd look over and see Lucas' little head peaking over the top. He'd see me and smile or grab Steve's leg (That's how close we were). Eventually, Lucas fell asleep and slept peacefully the whole night!

The next morning we said goodbye to Holly's fam and took off. We decided to stop and have lunch with my dad and then visit my granny. Lucas did great for being strapped down for most of the day. Steve and I are lucky to have a great kid!

Here are some pics from Theo's party:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/creativeapps/slideShow/Main.jsp?albumId=913880961803&ownerId=38373635603

Here are some pics from Lucas' birthday: http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/creativeapps/slideShow/Main.jsp?albumId=869742271803&ownerId=38373635603

Party Time!

2010-01-10T19:50:00.004-05:00

After much preparation Lucas had his birthday party on Saturday! I took Friday off from work and Steve surprised me and did the same. It took me most of the day to bake/decorate the cake and cupcakes. Steve kept teasing me because I had lists everywhere. One list for "what to bring to the YMCA," one list for "what to buy," and one list on "what to pack the morning of the party." If you haven't held a party at another location other than your house, it's hard to imagine everything you need to bring. It's not like I could just go into my kitchen and grab a knife if I forgot one. The lists paid off because I didn't forget anything!

On Saturday morning Steve packed up the car. We had so much stuff we actually had to remove Lucas' car seat to fit it all. Luckily, Sandra was bringing Lucas to the party so he wouldn't have to ride on the roof. Then Steve posted signs so our guests would know where to drive to the lodge. The lodge was a bit set back from the YMCA and we didn't want anyone getting lost. While Steve was picking up the pizza and posting signs, I was back at the lodge setting up. I had some helpers which was key in order to set up in an hour. Steve bought this super-duper helium tank so we could blow up balloons quickly. I think that's my new favorite toy.

The party was a success! Lucas seemed to enjoy himself and we let him taste cake for the first time. We also experienced Lucas' sugar high and then his sugar crash soon after. We thought we may have to take him home during the party so he could nap. But, then he found a stroller, pushed it around, and got his second wind.

I wish I had time to talk to all the guests but I felt like I was running around all day. I also wish we could've invited more of our friends, but it wasn't meant to be this year. We're very lucky to have such good friends and family that made Lucas' first birthday party very special. As I mentioned earlier I was running around and unfortunately only took 4 pictures. But, one of our friends is a semi-professional photographer and took pictures all day. Once I get those, I will post for all to see!

Now, I get a bit of a break from party planning. I already booked Steve's 40th party in August (his birthday is in May but his party will be in August). So I have a few months to rest up.

Sledding pictures and Peek a Boo

2010-01-03T13:47:00.004-05:00

Here are some photos of Lucas trying out his new sled. http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/creativeapps/slideShow/Main.jsp?albumId=546844701803&ownerId=38373635603

Vacation Week

2010-01-02T19:40:00.009-05:00

I not only love vacations because I don't have to go to work but I get to spend some quality time with Lucas. We didn't see too much of Steve this week....he worked more than 50 hours of overtime! Yes, you read that correctly. Needless to say Lucas and I did not get to see Steve much at all.

I brought Lucas to Target to get his portraits taken again. Last time I had his portraits done it was much easier. Lucas wasn't crawling so the biggest obstacle was making him smile (which really isn't that hard). The photographer had a hard time taking pictures because Lucas was on the move. He wouldn't sit still and wanted to crawl and grab everything. We did get some nice shots and this time I joined in and we actually got a couple good ones of the two of us. Since I am the one usually taking the photos, we don't have many of mama and son.

Lucas and Maya had a play date this week too. It was fun watching the two interact with each other. Plus it gave Christine and I a break from entertaining the kids. They both took a midday nap and then were raring to go for more. They were both so exhausted after the play date that they slept like rocks at night! That's music to a parents's ears.

I've been busy planning Lucas' first birthday party. It was very difficult deciding who to invite to the festivities. Because it's freezing out, we couldn't have an outdoor party and our house is much to small to accommodate little ones and parents. Steve and I rented a room at the YMCA, but it can only hold so many people. We felt bad we couldn't invite all of our friends, but it just wasn't going to work. Sorry.

One of the biggest obstacles I face, is figuring out how to bring the cake over to the YMCA. It would be much easier if I'd just buy a cake but I really want to make Lucas' first birthday cake. I'm no Martha Stewart so hopefully it turns out ok. Steve, being the MacGyver that he is, designed something for me to bring it in. Let's hope it works! Steve and I are getting to the site an hour earlier to set everything up. Luckily, Sandra is going to bring the birthday boy after he wakes up from his morning nap.

Steve said he was impressed because he thought I would "go overboard." Let me tell you it is real easy to go overboard in stores like IParty. But, I figured balloons are all the decorations we need. All Lucas needs is love for his first birthday. Wish us luck...the party is next weekend!

Two birthdays and Christmas

2009-12-28T11:27:00.010-05:00

This has been an extremely busy week in the Pevzamian household. Lucas' birthday was last Tuesday, my birthday was last Thursday, and, of course, Christmas was Friday!

Let's start with Lucas' first birthday! I can't believe how fast the year went and how much Lucas has changed. Steve took the day off work to spend the day with his son. They went shopping at the mall and went out to lunch. When I got home from work, Lucas opened his presents and we sang "Happy Birthday" to him. Take a look at the video - we stuck his candle in a baked potato! Yes, Steve and I try to eat somewhat healthy but don't worry Lucas will have cake at his birthday party!

My birthday was 2 days later and Steve took us out to a Japanese restaurant. Lucas had a great time trying to pass food to the gentleman sitting in the next booth. Luckily, he liked kids and got a kick out of Lucas passing his edamame to him.

Poor Steve is on call the entire week of Christmas to New Years. So, if there is a plumbing emergency Steve needs to leave (no matter the time). He got his first call at midnight and didn't get home until 4 in the morning on Christmas. Lucas and I (more me than him) were very excited to open gifts but we waited for Steve to join in the fun. Finally we opened gifts and Lucas had no idea what was going on. Then Steve's beeper went off again. To make a long story short Steve was gone most of Christmas, the entire next day, and most of Sunday. We already agreed that he will NOT be on call next Christmas.

Sandra's family, Steve's dad, plus the William's family came over for dessert on Christmas. Lucas was spoiled again with lots of great stuff. My family came over on Sunday to celebrate the birthdays (my dad's birthday is the 29th) and the holiday. Poor Steve cooked an incredible dinner but had to stuff it in to go out on another call. Despite that, Lucas enjoyed spending time with Grandpa and Grammy Pevzner, and Auntie Holly, Uncle Nate and his two cousins, Theo and Eli. He woke up around 9 at night and I think he had a stomachache from eating about a pound of mashed potatoes. The boy likes his carbs!

More to come later....

A Bottle and a Haircut

2009-12-20T10:32:00.004-05:00

Two pretty huge things occurred this week:

1. Lucas finally is holding his own bottle.

2. I finally gave in and got his haircut.

The holding the bottle thing is huge. Now, in the morning I can put him in the Exosaucer, hand him a bottle, and he will drink it. I used to have to hold him, give him his bottle, and eat my breakfast at the same time. I am a pretty good multitasker but it was getting tough in the mornings to get out the door on time.

On Saturday, I finally gave in and took Lucas to get his haircut. There is a place in Framingham that specializes in haircuts for kids. We grabbed Lucas' favorite wooden spoon and headed out the door. When we arrived a very nice receptionist told us we would have to wait about 15 minutes. It really wasn't that big of a deal and Lucas enjoyed looking in the mirror. Finally we were called and Steve carried Lucas to the chair while I followed holding all the bags. Since it was his first haircut I was a bit nervous and explained I only wanted it cleaned up so his hair wasn't in his eyes. She then proceeded to ask me if I wanted to pay $4.95 for his picture taken. I politely refused since I brought my own camera. She sighed, made no effort to be friendly to my little one, and just looked at Steve and said "hold his head." To make matters worse, another hairdresser walked by and told us we had a "gorgeous little girl."

I know it is difficult to cut a child's hair but let's make some effort to be friendly/goofy/fun to a baby. When she was finally done and his bangs were all uneven she walked us to the front to pay. While the receptionist was ringing us up, the hairdresser was hanging out at the cash register. I handed her a tip, she said thanks, and walked away.

I learned a couple of things:

1. If you want customers to return you should make a bit of an effort.

2. I could have probably cut Lucas' hair myself for a lot less money.

3. When you have curly hair, the screw up haircuts don't make much of a difference.

On another note...he is going to be 1 on Tuesday!!! I can't believe how fast the year went by. I'm excited to celebrate with him on Tuesday and to really celebrate with his birthday party in January. But, a part of me is a bit sad that the fist year went by so fast and I guess now he is considered a toddler. Steve thinks I'm nuts but you moms out there know what I am talking about..right?

A Poem by Lucas

2009-12-13T09:22:00.008-05:00

Lucas wrote this poem to describe our last two weeks.

Wanna hear what I've been up to for the last 14 days?

We've been so busy that most of it is just a haze.

Instead of using the phone,

Mommy brought me to see great-granny in the nursing home.

She was so happy to see me.

And kept calling me "her little cutie!"

Then we were off to see grandpa and grammy Gale for lunch.

You should have seen this rowdy bunch.

Uncle Nate, Aunt Holly, Theo, and Eli were there.

Theo taught me to look out the window at snow and stare.

On Sunday we drove to Burlington.

Jeannie and Michael had a holiday party and it was so much fun!

I got to play with Truman the dog

And try to eat the food scraps on the floor just like a hog.

Wanna know what my daddy did?

I didn't see my toys and I thought my daddy got rid.

But, he made me a playroom.

Another room where I can zoom!

You might think I would have fought.

when mommy took me to get the Swine Flu shot.

It went off without a hitch -

I didn't even flinch.

Mommy had to go to work the next night.

Telling parents their kids were a delight.

Mommy's friend, Brenda, put me to bed.

"What a great little boy" that's what she said!

The next afternoon I thought we were going to a party for me.

But, one of mommy's friends is a having a baby.

I thought we left too soon,

All the women loved how I played with my wooden spoon.

Yesterday we met Richard and Brendan at Not Your Average Joe's to eat.

I had some broccoli, pears, and bread to eat.

Our neighbor George and Papa came over at night,

Daddy made them stay for a bite.

George finished my birthday invite.

My parents thought it was out of sight!

Pretty soon I'll be one.

Won't that be fun?

Hope you liked my poem

'Cause tonight we're going to Jason's home.
Think my parents will ever rest?

Probably not - they just want me to have the best!

1st Thanksgiving

2009-11-29T12:24:00.003-05:00

Lucas celebrated his first Thanksgiving with the Williams family, mommy, daddy and Grandpa Shahnamian. He actually slept through the dinner portion of Thanksgiving, but he enjoyed sitting with everyone for dessert. I have to admit it was fun picking out a cute, little outfit for him to wear for his first feast. It's hard to imagine that next Thanksgiving he will be sitting next to me eating off his own plate!

The next day we took off to New York to visit Holly and her clan. Poor Lucas has more teeth coming in, so his nose was running and he wasn't feeling too hot. With that being said, you couldn't tell he wasn't feeling well when he was with his cousins, Theo and Eli. Lucas got a kick out of watching Theo and I think Theo got a kick out of playing with "baby Lucas." After several attempts to get all the kids together for a picture, we failed. Do you know how hard it is to get a 3 year old, 11 month old and a 6 month old to sit still and look at the camera? Well, it's hard. Maybe I can capture one at Christmas time?

The hardest part of traveling with a baby is the bedtime. One of Holly's friends was kind enough to loan us her room for the night. We haven't slept with Lucas in our room since he was 4 months old, so it was a bit weird having him in the room. I was so paranoid to turn over in fear the noise of the bed would wake him up. Steve said he saw Lucas sit up a few times at night but didn't move or say anything. Hopefully he didn't inherit the sleep walking or sleep talking trait from his mamma. He woke up at his usual time (5:45) but it was so hard trying to keep him quiet, get ready, and pack up without disturbing the others in the house. Overall, Lucas is a pretty good traveler. I think it's his parents who are the ones who stress out.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/creativeapps/slideShow/Main.jsp?albumId=224067369703&ownerId=38373635603

Panting Like a Dog and Lawrence Welk?

2009-11-15T19:14:00.005-05:00

Lucas has this new thing where he pants like a dog if he is really excited. It's hard to describe, so I took some video of him excited. You have to wait towards the end of the video to see it but it's worth the wait.

The tooth has finally broke through! I tried getting a picture of it but "someone" wouldn't keep his mouth open long enough. I'll keep trying!

A few months ago I had arranged for Donna to watch Lucas so Steve and I could go out on a date and get some Christmas/birthday shopping done. I was looking forward to this for a month but, of course, Steve got called into work on Saturday. It so hard to be spontaneous with a baby, but I tried. Oh well, maybe next month. On a positive note, I am pretty much done with Christmas shopping!

On a funnier note...we discovered that Lucas LOVES Lawrence Welk. You may be wondering how we found this out. Well, the other night Steve was flipping the channels trying to find a cartoon for Lucas to watch. But, Lucas doesn't really show any interest in tv. The only thing I have seen him sit still to watch are those Baby Einstein videos. Since he is only 10 1/2 months he has the attention span of a gnat....until Lawrence. When Steve was flipping the channels he came across the Lawrence Welk show. Lucas immediately dropped his toy and sat mesmerized with the tv. He must have sat there for about 15 minutes listening to the singing. Take a look at the picture of him watching the show. I have to hand it to Lucas, he always makes me laugh.

A tooth?

2009-11-08T16:51:00.007-05:00

Lucas is 10 1/2 months old and has no teeth. I've read that the later the teeth come the better for the child, so we're not complaining. But this past week we found what seems to be the start of a tooth poking though! Maybe he'll have a tooth for his first birthday next month!??!

We live in a ranch style house so there isn't a stairwell for Lucas to practice climbing.... or falling. The only step we have in the house is from the kitchen to the dining room. Well, today Lucas discovered it. He was chasing the cat around the house and came to the step. He struggled a bit going down it but when he had to come back up, it took him a second. I wonder how many hours will be spent going up and down that stair?

Usually Steve works all weekend but this Sunday he decided to take the afternoon off and stay to have fun with us! It was such a beautiful day that the Pevznamian family walked to get lunch and then after lunch we all went for a hike! You would think Lucas enjoys being in the backpack to watch the scenery but in reality he likes hitting Steve in the back of the neck better. I hope we have a few more nice weekends like this one before the wrath of winter kicks in!

The first picture is Lucas right after his bath. Check out the curls on that kid. I probably should get him a haircut, but he's not even a year yet man! Even though he gets mistaken for a girl almost daily, I love the curls. They are not coming off without a fight.

Halloween!

2009-11-01T07:14:00.004-05:00

If you know anything about me, you know that Halloween is my favorite holiday. I was so excited this year to celebrate with my two boys. We started the day off by going to Davis Farmland with Christine and Maya. Maya looked so cute dressed up a flower, but it was so windy that we decided to wait to dress up our monkey. The highlight of Davis Farmland was Steve entering an apple pie eating contest! Although Steve didn't win, he did our family proud. I posted the video for everyone to admire.

After we arrived home, Donna and the Taft family arrived for trick or treating. As you will see by the photos Lucas did not enjoy his monkey outfit as much I did. But, it was unseasonable warm and Lucas gets hot easily. Who would have thunk it would be warm on Halloween in Massachusetts?!?!? Lucas seemed to like answering the door for all the trick or treaters though. Hmmm....what should he be next year?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30481680@N03/sets/72157622707864136/

Stand and Deliver

2009-10-25T19:16:00.005-04:00

Thursdays are a long day for everyone in the Pevznamian household. Steve leaves early (around 6:30 a.m.) for training and then goes straight to his plumbing class after work. He doesn't get to see Lucas and sometimes doesn't even see me. Without Steve, Lucas and I must fend for ourselves. This past Thursday while Lucas and I were playing on the floor, he crawled over to me, put his hands on my shoulders, and pulled himself up. My first thought was excitement and the next thought was "oh crap he is going to walk any day now." He hasn't taken his first step yet, but both Steve and I are exhausted trying to baby proof the house and make sure everything is safe. Plus we weather proofed the deck, fence and picnic table this weekend. My head is spinning and I'm hungry. That's all for now folks...next week is Halloween!!!!

Swim class!

2009-10-18T13:48:00.006-04:00

I did get that approval to take pictures of the swim class, so today we all went to class together. I enjoyed watching Lucas and Steve frolic in the water and liked it even more since I didn't have to swim in the cold water. Here are some pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30481680@N03/

After swim class Steve decided to treat us to lunch! Let me just say it is much different going out for a surprise lunch now that it was before Lucas was born. Since it was a surprise lunch, I didn't pack anything for Lucas to eat. So, Steve had to stop at the grocery store to buy some baby food and baby spoons. We're very lucky because Lucas is a very even tempered baby and loves people watching. Other than eating his baby food he also got to drink an apple juice/water mix from daddy's cup, broccoli and carrots from mom's lunch, and mashed potatoes from daddy's lunch. He was wiped from swimming and the venture to the restaurant and is currently sound asleep for his afternoon nap!

One night last week, I dropped a wooden spoon on the kitchen floor. As soon as it hit the floor I heard the pitter-patter of a baby's crawl into the kitchen. To make a long story short, he fell in love with this spoon. It is now his favorite toy. I will have to post a picture soon to show you but it is seriously funny. He even had it at the restaurant today. Another dad looked at us while Lucas was laughing at his wooden spoon and said "milk it for all you can. It will save you thousands in toys." Ha! We're already thinking about going to the dollar store and filling his Christmas stocking with them.

Here we go!

2009-10-12T10:15:00.005-04:00

Lucas went from crawling one step and then collapsing on his stomach to full on crawling this weekend. On Sunday morning, we put him in his play area and he took off like a bullet. He broke through his gate, crawled into the bathroom (right for the litter box), and then back to the living room. As you may have guessed, Steve and I spent the next few hours running around like mad men trying to baby proof the house. We came to a conclusion...we need more gates!

Sunday was a fun but exhausting day for the little one. Other than using his newly acquired skill, he also had swim lessons and dinner at Donna's house. Swimming class was a success again. But, this time he was more interested in the other kids and the ceiling fans rather than swimming. I am hoping to go next week to take some photos. You see they won't let you just come in and take photos. You actually have to complete a camera consent form and the director has to approve it. I filled the form and hopefully it will get approved next week! Then at Donna's house Lucas had fun chasing two kittens around. Luckily the kittens were playful and well behaved. I know he liked the kittens but I think he preferred playing with the kitty toys instead.

We've also been moving full steam ahead with the food. This weekend he tried broccoli and grapes and on deck for new foods are: whole wheat pasta, kiwi, and peach yogurt. For those of you who don't have kids you are suppose to introduce new foods one at a time for three days before starting the next food (I had no idea about this until I had Lucas). Since I started broccoli this weekend, I need to feed him a little for 3 days to see if he has an allergic reaction. If he doesn't than we are good to go and I can introduce another food.

He has also learned the skill of clapping. He gets so excited and bangs his hands together. Unfortunately, every time I get the camera out to take a picture of this - he stops and smiles. He's a sneaky little monkey.

9 month check up

2009-10-03T13:54:00.005-04:00

Steve took Lucas to get his 9 month check up last week. Although we sat Lucas on a scale when we went apple picking, we weren't sure how accurate the reading was considering it was meant for apples and not babies. So we were curious to see how much the doctor would tell us Lucas weighs at 9 months. He weighs 22 pounds 9 ounces and is 29 1/4 inches long! It's hard to believe but his weight is actually evening out or that he was born at only 6 pounds. The doctor didn't seem concerned with his weight, but Steve and I are concerned for our grocery bills in a few years! Lucas got a clean bill of health and the doc said he was doing great. He didn't even cry when he got his flu shot.

We can't really keep our eyes of Lucas for a second. Not because he is so stunningly beautiful but because he scoots really fast. He moves his gate and scoots out. The other day I put him in his play area and he ended up on the other side of it. Not good.

Steve thinks I'm nuts, but Lucas already has his Halloween costume. I had him try it on last week to make sure it fits and he looked adorable. I can't wait for the big day so he can show off his monkey costume (and I can get candy).

Julie and Liam visited us on Sunday. I felt bad for them because they had to wait 2 hours before Lucas got up from his nap. Lucas was so exhausted from his swim class that he slept a lot longer than usual. Steve said Lucas was kicking and moving all around the pool. The poor thing was actually falling asleep while eating lunch. Lucas never falls asleep when food is around so I knew he must have been tired. Steve and I also got a little foreshadowing into our future. Liam wanted to wrestle and play soccer with Steve. I can just picture Lucas asking the same thing in a few years.

Our family trip to Nantucket

2009-09-28T13:43:00.005-04:00

Steve is always looking out for our family and he actually scored us a free weekend in Nantucket. He helped out this woman with some odd jobs around her Nantucket home and she was so appreciative that she offered her house for a visit. We packed up our Mazda and we headed to Nantucket early Saturday morning. If you take a look at the picture, you can check out this massive house. Steve took a picture from the guest house!

We knew Lucas would do fine with traveling and sightseeing, but we were concerned over the sleeping situation. He sleeps through the night at home but when we went to New York and Maine this summer Lucas did not sleep well. Plus, the Nantucket guest house was only one, large room. When Lucas fell asleep around 8, Steve and I decided to go to bed since he would probably be up in a few hours. But, we didn't hear from him until 5:30! It sounds early to most, but that's about the time Lucas usually wakes up.

All weekend Steve called Lucas the "Mayor of Nantucket." Lucas was waving, smiling and cooing to everyone walking by. He's already got a thing for the ladies. Lucas will smile if a man talks to him but when a woman comes over he squeals and acts shy. You know what they say: like father, like son!

On other Lucas news: Both Sandra and Steve said they saw Lucas crawl. I've only seem him doing the backward scoot and take one lunge forward. Since I haven't seen him crawl, in my mind he hasn't done it. It won't go down in the baby book until I witness it. I think that seems fair.

Steve will bring Lucas for his 9 month check up on Thursday. I wonder what the doc will say since Lucas STILL has no teeth!??

Apples Galore!

2009-09-21T18:17:00.006-04:00

Lucas had another busy week. On Saturday we took him apple picking for the first time. It was a gorgeous day plus he got to hang out with the Williams family and Matt and Olivia. Although he really isn't smiling for the pictures, he did have a good time! He liked it when Steve would peel part of an apple, I would chew it up a bit, and then put it in his mouth. He's just like his daddy..he likes his food!

Steve and Lucas took their first swimming class on Sunday. Apparently Lucas was more interested in everything going on around him than the actual water. But, he didn't cry and he was so pooped after it that he took a nice, long nap. I liked the swim class too because I got an hour by myself and got to run outside. I love my boys but it is nice to have some alone time. You moms know what I'm talking about.

Since the little man is doing the backwards crawl, we put up a little gated area for him to play safely. Luke seems to like it and we can get some stuff done without being worried he will knock into something.

Next weekend we are off to Nantucket!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30481680@N03/sets/72157622291832445/

Run, daddy, run!

2009-09-14T19:39:00.007-04:00

Lucas ran (well, got pushed) in his first 5k! Steve and I have been running the Ovarian Cancer 5k in South Boston for the past 9 years and this year we had a great group joining us. Steve did awesome and finished 6th in his age group and 27th overall. It's pretty impressive but what is even more impressive is that Steve hadn't run in months and he was pushing our 22 pound turkey. Apparently, when Steve was passing other runners Lucas would giggle. It's probably not the best thing to hear while being passed by someone pushing a baby, but it is funny. I didn't do too shabby either and finished 17th in my age group.

Lucas is also perfecting the backwards crawl/waddle. He is pushing himself around but hasn't quite pushed himself up on all fours yet. The other day I put him on his play mat, went to get something, came back and he had scooted into the middle of the living room. He just looked up and laughed. He does a lot of that lately!

He's also doing great on using a sippy cup. I've heard from other mothers to introduce the cup early so he's not struggling at a year to drink. Lucas will pretty much grab the cup and guzzle whatever liquid we put in it. Maybe he is getting ready for college early?

Busy Labor Day weekend

2009-09-08T19:39:00.004-04:00

The Pevznamian family had a fun filled Labor Day weekend. First, we ventured to Agawam to see granny, Aunt Elaine, dad and Gale. It's a lot more difficult than it used to be making the 1 1/2 drive, driving to 3 different places, feeding Lucas (and us), and trying to time everything correctly so Lucas will nap in the car. Lucas is a real trooper and did great. He was so exhausted that he fell asleep before we even left dad and Gale's street. Lucas got to see even more members of the Pevzner family when Aunt Terry and Uncle Harley came to visit on Monday. He did great and showed them how he eats Cheerios in his high chair!

We were pooped from all the visiting, but still had some energy to go hiking. Steve bought this nifty, new baby backpack. Lucas smiled the whole time (until he fell asleep on Steve's back)! We'll definitely be using the backpack again soon...probably next weekend when we go apple picking.

Then Steve and Lucas signed up for a "Daddy and Me" swim class at the YMCA. We wanted Lucas to get used to the water early so he isn't afraid, plus it will be a good bonding experience between father and son. I don't know if this makes me a bad mother/wife but I'm also looking forward to an hour or so by myself.

Lucas continues to eat like a horse and we're introducing new foods every 3 days or so. The newest favorite food is Avocado. The kid can't seem to get enough!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30481680@N03/sets/72157622189640369/

Cantaloupe good, Sand not so good

2009-08-30T09:25:00.007-04:00

Since Lucas seems to love the water we took him to Hopkinton State Park for an afternoon. This is where Lucas discovered sand. He proceeded to put sand in his mouth, nose, diaper, etc. I think this is foreshadowing for the coming years where Lucas puts everything in his mouth. But he also tried cantaloupe this week and liked it!

I finally gave in to peer pressure and took Lucas to get his professional photos done. When the photographer saw Lucas the first comment out of her mouth was "awesome, crazy hair. I love it." Then she called her other photography friends over to check out Lucas's curly hair. After the oohing and ahhing Lucas was ready for the spotlight! He did really well and the pictures came out great. Of course, they wanted me to spend a boat load of money and were probably disappointed that I didn't spend hundreds of dollars. I ordered a few and will probably bring him back when he is a year old. Even though Steve didn't want me to get them done (he was probably worried I would mortgage the house to pay for all the photos), I think he was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the pics and that I didn't buy (spend) a ton.

Other news...Lucas has officially stopped nursing. I needed to ween him off before school started. I was a bit sad, but Lucas couldn't have cared less. As long as he's fed, he's happy and he doesn't care who is giving it to him. My baby is growing up so fast :(

Steve, Donna, Joe and I went to Cirque Du Soleil on Saturday night. It was nice to have a night out! And, Lucas didn't make a peep for the babysitter! I don't think we're doing too bad for having an 8 month old. We've already gone out at night a few times, where some new parents don't get to go out for a year!

School starts tomorrow so wish us luck!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30481680@N03/sets/72157622059859339/

Hungry Monkey

2009-08-25T07:44:00.003-04:00

Since Lucas doesn't really care for Cheerios, I've been trying to figure out what to feed him. He does love mashed bananas, but there are only so many bananas one can eat! I decided to order a book so I can figure out what are some healthy and safe foods to feed him. We found some teething biscuits to practice chewing and it entertains him for a bit. The downfall...it is a huge mess and I find bits of it all over the place (including his diaper)!

I start school next week, so Lucas has been visiting Auntie Sandra for day care. I was nervous that he would be over stimulated and wouldn't follow his nap schedule anymore. But, Lucas did awesome! He is sticking to his nap schedule and he's still sleeping through the night. If this were around Christmas I would call it a Christmas miracle!

Steve is off today and we are taking a family trip to my school and then off to Ashland State Park to enjoy the water.

Water, water!

2009-08-17T20:14:00.007-04:00

It has been great being with Lucas all summer and seeing the wonderful changes. Can you believe he will be 8 months on Saturday? Neither can we. Since Lucas has been sitting up, we decided he needs to move to the house bathtub. I wasn't sure how he would like it, but he ended up loving it. Speaking of water..we also took him to Walden Pond for the first time. Granted the parking lot was full so Steve, Lucas and I had to sneak through a wooded trail to get in. Instead of calling it sneaking in and breaking rules, we prefer to think of it as a lesson in perseverance. Lucas LOVED it. Take a look at the video of him splashing around. Steve is hoping he is a future triathlete!

We also introduced the boy to Cheerios. To our disbelief, Lucas didn't care for them. We figured he would eat anything we put within a 3 foot radius, but apparently not. Who would've known?

In other big news, Lucas has finally graduated from the infant car seat to the convertible one. He seems to enjoy the new plush seating.

That's about it for now. Two more weeks until school starts :(

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30481680@N03/sets/72157622069423242/

BBQ Fun!

2009-08-10T06:34:00.004-04:00

After many weeks of running around, Steve and I finally pulled off the summer bbq. It is always great to see so many of our friends/family in one place. Lucas especially loved hanging out with everyone. So many of the guests commented to us on how Lucas is a such a happy baby. It is really true. He laughed, giggled and played with everyone. I was a bit concerned since he only took a 1/2 hour afternoon nap, but he was too overstimulated to leave the party. I guess he thought he might miss something.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Lucas has been rolling over and waking up at night. I finally bought crib bumpers to see if that would help. They did seem to help and last night Lucas was back to his old self and slept through the night!

So far August has been an eventful month..he starting waving bye, air clapping, rolling over, sitting up, and babbling a lot more. Lucas is also starting to get the rocking motion that babies do before they start moving. As soon as he can move, we're in trouble!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30481680@N03/sets/72157621997889576/

We're rollin', rollin', rollin'

2009-08-03T08:51:00.006-04:00

Good news: Lucas is rolling over.

Bad new: Lucas is rolling over and getting stuck in the middle of the night.

Lucas has discovered the art of rolling his body from back to belly. I place him on his mat and he loves rolling and playing. Steve and I discovered the rolling thing isn't so great at night. Lucas will roll over and either :

a} get stuck

b} hit the side of his crib

c} cry

d} all of the above.

Steve and I sleepily walk into Lucas's room and turn him over. Hopefully he'll figure it out soon.

We also went to visit dad, Gale and granny the other day. We had a nice visit and granny said something that really stuck me.

"When I go to heaven and see your mother I will tell her all about Lucas."

Sigh.

Our trip to Maine

2009-07-25T08:32:00.005-04:00

Last week Lucas and I make the trek to Maine to see Holly, Theo, and Eli (and Nate for a bit). It was awesome to see the family, but it was exhausting. With a 2 month old, 7 month old and a 2 1/2 year old on different schedule at times was insane. But, we all enjoyed ourselves and we even went out to eat twice!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30481680@N03/sets/72157621686192443/

Lucas loved hanging out with Theo. Anytime Theo came into the room Lucas was mesmerized by him and would crack up. Just look at the video and you'll see what I mean.

We came back to rainy Massachusetts only to find out backyard flooded. Steve was at work so I thought I would go out the back door to take pictures of the water to show the town. As I walked out the door, it slammed shut. You're probably thinking..so what? Well, the door locked and Lucas was inside! I only panicked for a minute and then thought "What would MacGiver do?" I pulled one of the patio tables under a window where we have the kitty door, pushed the kitty door in, and somehow dragged my butt into the window and landed on the kitchen floor. Note to self- make a copy of the house key.

20 pounds of love!

2009-07-17T13:19:00.005-04:00

Last week Lucas went for his 6 month appointment. The doc said he looked great and wasn't concerned about anything...even Lucas's weight. He now weighs a whopping 20 pounds 7 ounces! We have to go back at 9 months. Wonder what he'll weigh then?

Lucas was also very excited to hang out with "Auntie" Donna. Donna comes over about once a week to watch the boy. It is amazing how much more I can get done without the little one in tow. It's a win-win situation..Donna gets her baby fix, I get a bit of freedom and Lucas gets fun playtime.

Our little monkey has also been much more active. He is rolling over a lot and cooing all the time. Unfortunately, he tends to get stuck when rolling over. He usually sleeps through the night but a few times we heard shrills at 3 a.m. only to find him on his stomach with his hand stuck. Glad he's learning, not so glad he is learning at 3 a.m.

We're off to Maine for a week to visit Auntie Holly, Theo and Eli. The two mamas and 3 little boys on Peaks Island. More details upon our return!

Another trip to the zoo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30481680@N03/sets/72157621574705064/

Ecotarium

2009-07-08T19:25:00.003-04:00

Christine, Maya, Lucas and I enjoyed the day at the Ecotarium. This place is really cool and I know Lucas will love it once he gets a little older. It is a combination zoo, playground and museum. They even had a train that travels around the park. I know I shouldn't rush him to get older but I am just excited to think of all the cool things we can show him! I'm even excited to show his cousins, Theo and Eli, this place when they come to visit during summer vacations.

Steve made us some yummy dinner (salmon and spinach) to celebrate our three year anniversary. Can you believe it has been 3 years already? Three years and one little man later...we'll still having fun!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30481680@N03/sets/72157621147871108/

What a mess!

2009-07-06T13:01:00.004-04:00

Not much has been going on during our summer vacation...thank you rain. But, Lucas has been enjoying watching daddy demolish the deck and build a new fence. Steve is teaching him the names of tools in hopes of his first word to be "sledgehammer."

In other exciting news, Lucas has decided that he would like to hold the spoon during meals. He has to learn somehow! Check out the video:

Zoo Trip

2009-06-29T10:38:00.003-04:00

Our vacation has been pretty dreary with the weather and all, but we're still having fun. We've been working on the nap schedule and Lucas is doing awesome. He's been a quick learner! However, he used to nap every time he was in his stroller. I learned the hard way that he doesn't nap in the running stroller anymore. He would rather look around and enjoy the scenery. I'll just have to plan our runs around his napping!

Speaking of scenery..we went for our first family trip. We took Lucas to his first visit to the zoo. He really seemed keen on the wolves, but especially liked the birds. They had a birds of prey show with birds flying around us. Lucas would coo and smile when he saw one.

No, Steve we are not getting a bird or a wolf.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30481680@N03/sets/72157620558484321/

6 months old today!

2009-06-22T12:26:00.003-04:00

Can you believe Lucas is 6 months old today? I am not sure which is harder to believe..that a 1/2 year has gone by since Lucas came into our lives or that we survived the first 6 months of parenthood.

My last day of school was Thursday and Lucas and I have been enjoying our time together. Our weekend was packed full of fun! On Saturday we went to Michael's first birthday. Lucas didn't seem too impressed with the festivities, but I was! Jeannie (Michael's mom) had a dinosaur themed party. She made a homemade dino cake and some dino cookies. I even dressed Lucas up in a dinosaur outfit (he looked cute, if I do say so myself). Now, I have to start thinking about Lucas's 1st birthday...Any ideas?

On Sunday we celebrated Father's day with our families. Lucas was very pleased with the gift he picked out for Steve. He got daddy a custom made bike t-shirt and a gift certificate to go scuba diving (I think Steve was happy that no ties were given). Happy Father's Day Steve!

Here are some pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30481680@N03/sets/72157620055167811/

Yum..food

2009-06-07T20:01:00.004-04:00

Steve and decided to start Lucas on baby food. Our doc said to wait until 6 months, but what's two weeks!?!? Lucas is loving the food. We started him on sweet potato and now he is onto carrots. He actually cries and fusses when I don't feed him fast enough. Take a look at the video:

Did you notice the onesie Lucas is wearing? Daddy wasn't too pleased with it, but Lucas and I were very pleased! It's from Auntie Sandra and Auntie Holly gave him a onesie just like it too. Doesn't he have the best aunts?

Grammy Shahnamian

2009-05-31T20:34:00.005-04:00

Steve's mom died on Friday. I know it brought her great joy to see her son become a father. We will always be grateful of the 5 months she had with Lucas.

Of course, this got me thinking of my mom and I felt sadness for Lucas. I know he will probably not feel the same sadness over losing these two great women but, sadness because he will never know either of his biological grandmothers.

Cousin Eli

2009-05-31T20:22:00.004-04:00

We took our first road trip down to New York to meet the newest addition to the Powell family. Steve and I were a little anxious to see how Lucas would handle the 4 1/2 hour car ride. Lucas did awesome in the car. He slept for a little of it, looked out the window, and played. So far it doesn't seem that Lucas inherited his mother's motion sickness. I hope he doesn't.

Eli is a doll. Half the time we all forgot he was there. We would here a little "eh, eh" and Holly would feed him. Holly, Nate, Steve and I reminisced about the previous NY visits where we would shop during the day and bar hop at night. Now, we are taking turns changing diapers and burping babies. At one point during the visit the kids decided to do things in unison: Theo was puking, Eli was crying and Lucas was hiccuping/pooping/crying. I like to call it organized chaos. Family events will never be the same.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30481680@N03/sets/72157618935201915/

Food and Thumbs

2009-05-17T14:10:00.002-04:00

I tried starting Lucas on rice cereal this week. Some days he enjoyed it and other days he wasn't that interested. As long as he is getting enough milk (and we all know he is), I am not too concerned with rice cereal. We'll start the other solid foods at 6 months.

Lucas has been sucking his thumb a lot lately. Frankly, I'm glad. He doesn't particularly like the pacifier, but likes to suck. It seems to calm him and I don't have to worry about him dropping it or loosing it!

Steve left today for work in Nantucket. He won't be back until late Tuesday night. It's me and Lucas until then. I wonder how it'll be without Steve!?!?

17 pounds of baby

2009-05-11T06:37:00.002-04:00

In no particular order here are some highlights from the past week:

-Lucas went to his 4 month check up and weighs 17 pounds! The doctor said he was healthy and wasn't worried about his weight at all. The doc also wants to wait to give Lucas any solids (including rice cereal) until 6 months. He said babies that start solids before then are more likely to develop allergies.

-Lucas has a new cousin! Eli Cooper Powell was born on Friday in his mom and dad's bathroom. Lucas is very excited to meet him over Memorial Day weekend. We even went shopping to buy the new guy a little something.

-This was my first Mother's Day as a mom! For the past 14 years I dreaded Mother's Day but I actually enjoyed this one with Lucas. Steve even made me a great lobster dinner.

-Steve and I went out on a date without Lucas. This was the first time we went out together since Lucas was born back in December. Donna came over and watched the little guy while we enjoyed Star Trek. It was so nice to get out and relax without worrying someone will have a crying fit, poop or be overtired (Steve did great). We'll be calling Donna again real soon.

Hot, hot, hot!

2009-05-03T12:26:00.003-04:00

It was so hot last week that we broke out the kiddie pool. Lucas loved splashing in the water with his daddy. Take a look at some of the pictures.

Lucas participated in his first 5k walk on Saturday. The family walked for the March for Dimes with the Chien family. We had to stop about 10 seconds into the walk because someone got fussy and needed food (not Steve). All in all it was a fun day and I think Lucas would like to do some more charity walks/runs.

Lucas has his 4 month appointment on Tuesday. We are sure the doctor will tell us to start feeding him rice cereal. As you can tell by the pictures Lucas doesn't miss a meal, so we don't anticipate any problems with Lucas eating his rice cereal.

I'll update you next week to let you know how it goes!

Fussy munchkin

2009-04-25T08:30:00.004-04:00

Lucas has been showing the beginning sign of teething. The poor thing is drooling like crazy and wants to chew on everything. Steve bought him this little stuffed dog that Lucas loves to chew on. Besides teething, he is also going through a growth spurt.

teething + growth spurt = fussy baby

On a positive note the weather was beautiful yesterday so we got to play outside. Check out the pictures of Lucas sporting his Red Sox hat.

Busy week

2009-04-20T08:33:00.003-04:00

In no particular order here are some highlights from the past week:

1. Lucas starting grabbing his pacifier and holding it in his mouth.

2. Early Tuesday, Steve took my car key to work and had to drive back to give it to me. He was about 15 minutes late but I managed to drop Lucas off and get to work on time

3. Lucas now sleeps in his own room.

4. Steve tripped, went to the emergency room, found he sprained his ankle, and was on crutches for 2 days.

5. I started running with Lucas in the jogging stroller.

6. We got another car key (see #2).

Last week was very eventful and we plan on relaxing this week for our vacation. More pictures to come!

The Shahnamians

2009-04-12T08:28:00.004-04:00

We went to Mohegan Sun yesterday for the Shahnamain family reunion. It was pretty fun and Lucas was the hit of the party. He did really well up until the end when he got tired. My favorite part was when Steve was telling his family to "shhh" because Lucas was trying to sleep in a casino. By the way, you can't bring a 3 1/2 month old into the slot machine room. Oh well..

We also learned that Lucas is the last boy (so far) to carry on the Shahnamian name. So much pressure for the little one!

Diving or Sushi?

2009-04-07T06:44:00.003-04:00

The other day Steve and I were trying to get ready for the next day. We both had a ton of stuff to do, so Steve suggested we put Lucas in front of the fish tank. Maybe the bright lights, colorful fish and the humming sound of the filter would entertain him. You know what?!? It did! We were in the other room and all we could hear were kicking of legs and some cooing. Lucas was smiling, staring at the fish. Every time a fish would swim by he would kick his legs and try to talk with the fish. Trust me it was adorable.

Steve thinks this is a sign that he will like scuba diving. I think it is a sign that he will like sushi. We'll have to wait a few years to see who was right.

Work, Visitors and Exhaustion

2009-03-29T10:42:00.006-04:00

Sorry for the delay in posting but being back at work has exhausted me. I've been back to work for a week and half and it's getting better. We now have our nighttime and morning routines which seem to be working (at least I get to work on time.) In case you're interested here's what I do at night:

play with Lucas
get diaper bag ready for the next day
take breast milk out of freezer and put in fridge
pick out clothes for Lucas and pack them
pick out my clothes and iron them
make my lunch
get breast pump ready
take shower and/or eat dinner
put Lucas to bed
collapse from exhaustion

I guess it's really not that interesting, but that's what we do. Steve helps by loading up the car in the morning so I don't have to make 2 or 3 trips. Lucas and I leave at 7 in the morning, get to Sandra's at 7:30, and then I'm off to work to get there by 8. I haven't been late yet so I guess our routine is working.

Last weekend Holly, Nate and Theo (and dad, Gale and Nate's parents) came to visit. It was great seeing everyone one last time before their little boy joins the world. It was also fun to see Theo interact with his little cousin. I can just imagine family get togethers in a few years with the 3 little boys running around. I'll put Steve in charge of watching them!

Back to Work

2009-03-17T14:44:00.005-04:00

Lucas and I did our final "trial run" today before I go back to work tomorrow. We did our morning routine, drove to Sandra's, and then to work. I discovered something..not to count on a 3 month old to do the same routine twice. One morning he slept through the entire trip, the next morning he woke up 15 minutes before my alarm, and the today he woke up 1/2 hour after I did. The good news is that each morning we managed to get out the door by 7, make it to Sandra's for 7:30 and to work by 8:00.

Sandra asked if I was going to call tomorrow to check up on Lucas. I said I wouldn't. You may wonder why I wouldn't want to know how the little guy is doing. This is why..If I call and hear him crying or Sandra's says he is having a bad day, I am going to get upset, distracted, worried, etc. I figure he's with his aunt, she knows what she is doing and sometimes it is better to not know.

Wish us luck tomorrow!