Picking Up Stuff Without Holding On

Luke is starting to master the art of picking things up off the ground without holding on to something. This was another one of those skills that took him a little longer to learn because it involves lifting his head. But he's got it now! And at the end, you'll notice, he put my keys on the ground just so he can pick them up again. :P

Piggy Bank Crayons

We discovered that a crayon fits perfectly inside the slot of Luke's piggy bank! Of course, Luke thought this was great fun, and even managed to set off the switch a few times.

Giving Cinnamon Toys

This was a HILARIOUS stage Luke went through (yes, he's already pretty much over it as I post this mid-Nov.). Notice how Cinnamon already has 4 blocks lined up next to her on the couch - Luke. You'll get to see him generously give her his toy phone. :P

Pulled Up!

He has pulled up before this, but not very consistently. So I finally got it on camera. You can tell how "yesterday" this skill is because he doesn't seem very phased when I praise him for doing it. :) And, I didn't manage to get him actually on the floor all the way to standing because I'm not quick enough with my camera, but he had been sitting. Pulling up is just a matter of course around here now!

Rocking Chair

So, the first part of this video is more of just him looking at his book. As cute as that is, the highlight is really at the end, when he starts rocking his "new" rocking chair! He even grabs both sides to shake REALLY hard! This is his infant seat, repurposed without the toy bar, into a toddler chair.

Enjoying His Piggy Bank

This is for you again, Mom! :)

More Ball Kicking

Lots of fun!

Vijay & Luke

Just a short clip of Vijay and Luke giggling together. Then, I had to cut it short since they were conspiring to steal Joanna's cell phone! :P

Pushing Laundry

He's so very helpful! And cute!

Eating Applesauce

He's doing a lot better using a spoon! Either applesauce or yogurt are good foods for him to try his hand at utensil-feeding.

Throwing the Ball on the Tile

Watch his face as he throws the balls - he knows there will be a loud noise, so he squints his eyes in preparation! He's a little less dedicated than he had been right before I got the camera - that's how it goes. :)

Shaking Water Bottles

The expressions on his face are priceless!

Kicking the Ball by Himself

Now that he can walk well, he loves to kick the ball unassisted - soccer star, here we come!

Watching Pony Rides

We were watching the older cousins ride the ponies and Luke was happy watching and waving!

Walking at the Petting Zoo

He really wanted to just go! The ground was a little uneven, though, so we were nervous to let him go too far on his own. :)

Petting Sheep

Thankfully, the animals at Lombardi's petting zoo were tame and used to kids' exuberance! This is how Luke would pet Cinnamon if he could. :P

Dancing at Lombardi's

Luke couldn't get enough of the live band that was playing at Lombardi's. He only stops dancing here because Daddy was coming over to get him. Later in the day, he actually wandered off and made a bee line for the band, which was pretty far away (Daddy following closely behind, of course!). :)

Walking on the Sidewalk

He's moving on to big-boy status! Walking all by himself, with shoes, on the sidewalk!!! So exciting! :)

Hiding Behind the Table

Another episode of Peek-a-Boo or Hide-n-Seek! Anything to get that happy little chuckle! :)

Dropping the Basketball

He's not a dribbler yet, but this is sure close - and he LOVES it!

Pushing my Chair

My chair is usually pushed in, but if it's ever out, this is what Luke MUST do with it! This happens most often when we're doing a webcam with my parents since I need to move the chair for them to see him walk around. :)

Running (kind of)

Luke's going pretty fast chasing me, but he's not actually "running" technically. If he gets going too fast, he often does a face-plant. Real running is still a ways off, I think. :)

Dancing Again

Phyllis and I were visiting Joanna, her kids and her mother-in-law (to explain all the different voices in the background). Luke wandered into their kitchen and was playing with this magnetic fridge toy they have. He was really gettin' jiggy with it - mainly because I think he thought he wasn't being watched. :)

Playing with Cars

Pure boy!

Playing with the Ball

He was really into this little ball and was crawling all over after it!

Splash Laughing

Luke started splashing HEARTILY - getting me completely soaked. The first time he did it, I squealed, which he thought was great - causing him to laugh HYSTERICALLY! We caught a few of these laughs on video here in response to my fake squealing. :)

Luke's First Car Wash

We normally don't pay to have our car washed, but we had time to kill one Saturday, needed to get gas anyway, and figured it would be fun to let Luke experience a car wash. :) Nothing too dramatic, but he was definitely intrigued!

Tummy-Crawl-Sit

I managed to capture Luke's newest skill! He can now (finally) go from laying down to sitting up all by himself! For most parents out there, this is a skill their babies learned LONG before 15 months, but for Luke and his super-sized head, this is a long-awaited milestone. :) The video doesn't really show him on his tummy cuz I was slow getting the camera, but he had been laying down, then pushed up to a crawl (the move that was hard for him because it involves lifting his head), and from there he can sit (which he's been able to do for a little bit).

Just Being Cute

Enjoy!

Combing Hair

He snagged his comb and brush and proceeded to walk around the house "combing" his hair. At this point, he usually messes it up more than fixes it, but at least he's got the right idea. ;)

Taking a Walk with Grandpa

I was like the paparazzi, stalking my son as he went on a walk with his grandpa. :) My camera is on full zoom - I didn't want him to see me and disrupt their bonding time. I love how he's stopping to examine every bush they pass. :)

Playing the Viola

My Dad always likes to give Luke a lesson on his viola when we visit. I think he's getting better than last time. :)

Chasing Cars

My mom had out some cars that used to be in my Volkswagon Beetle collection for Luke to play with. They would wind up when you rolled them backwards, and then shot forward, much to Luke's delight! He especially liked it when they would crash into something! :)

Walking at the Oregon Coast

Luke had a blast walking around on the sidewalks at the Oregon Coast. He was still very new at walking in shoes and since outdoor ground can be somewhat trecherous for little feet, we always held his hand. Since there were so many doting relatives around, Luke usually had BOTH hands held. :) I'm also trying to film while not running into anything. :P

Squealing at Birds

There were a bunch of pigeons on the pier at the Oregon Coast, when we visited my family, and Luke got SOOOO excited to see them. I think cuz they were fluttering and milling around - he only really squeals once on the video - he did that several more times before I got the camera out! :)