And the Winner is...

Several people filled out a questionaire before Luke was born, sharing their guesses as to what kind of person Luke would be. Some of the questions have already been answered, although some we will still have to wait on.
The questions were:
1. Will the baby be a boy or a girl?
2. When will the baby be born?
3. What will this bundle of joy weigh at birth?
4. What eye color will the newest addition have?
5. Will the baby be right-handed or left?
6. What are your favorite girl names?
7. Favorite boy names?
8. Least favorite girl names
9. Least favorite boy names (you still have to love the baby even if your names aren’t chosen)
10. What will the baby “Be” when it grows up?
11. What will Laura’s biggest craving be while pregnant?

Pretty much everyone who participate already knew that the baby was a boy. So if you filled out the questionaire, you are most likely a winner!

#2 Luke was born June 26, 2006.
Pam Penner came very close with June 28th. Hannah Bergen was correct with, “In June like every other Bergen”. I would like to correct you though, I was born in July. So there are still some Bergens who are kicking the trends. My sister Sarah and Jenna Stoeppler were also pretty close with June 29th. My cousins were really on a roll with the vague answers, Maria said, “sometime in the summer” and she was right on the money!

#3 Luke was born 8lb 8.5 oz.
Nate Patterson guessed the highest weight. He guessed 9 ½ lbs. Thanks a lot Nate. I can see who you’re rooting for here. David Howlett guessed 3 kilograms, and since I don’t know how many pounds that is, he’s probably right. Aunt Carol guessed very close with 8lb 3 oz. Amanda was even closer with 8lb 4 oz., and she tied with Violet Bartel!

#4 Luke still has blue eyes, and they seem to only be getting lighter.
Melissa, Aunt Carol, Sarah, Jenna, Nate, Cara & Cheri, Aunt Laurie, Violet, and Pam Penner all got this one correct. I was surprised at how many people guessed hazel and only three people said brown!

#5 Luke is ambidextrous.
This one I guess we’ll have to wait and see about, but just the other day he truly seemed to be leaning toward left-handedness…Nate Patterson guessed ambidextrous and so far he’s correct! Aunt Laurie also guessed he’d be ambidextrous…at least until he’s two.

#6 Luke was not a girl, and even though we are open-minded people we decided to go with a more masculine name. The most masculine girl names you guys came up with were:
Kylie (aunt laurie), Rowen (sorry Hannah, it could go either way), Jaden (Janis Coats), Georgia (awfully close to George, eh Kathy?).

#7 Luke Stanley Thiessen.
Nobody suggested Luke or Stanley, although Melissa suggested Bergen which is the side of the family that we got the name Stanley from, and Kathy suggested Lukas…close, but no cigar. Uncle Dave was awfully close with his answer, “Any father, grandfather or uncle names, recognizing the biblical and meaningful name David (beloved) carries great significance”.
I was not disappointed that nobody suggested either name we picked because it meant that it was really a surprise for everyone. In case you don’t know, we chose Luke because during the nine months I was pregnant Derek was writing his master’s thesis on Luke 2:1-20, the narrative of Jesus’ birth. And the name Stanley was my choice to somehow keep my father’s name in the family since he had no sons of his own to carry the name Bergen. Your most intriguing suggestions were: James (Laura Neufeld), one of my favorite names is Seamus, from which James is derived. Several people suggested Josiah. Several people also suggested Andrew, Judah and Elijah. Jonathan came up a number of times too, and I must admit it is one of my least favorite names!

#8 Your least favorite names were a hoot. Thankfully neither Luke, nor Stanley came up in your lists, so I know none of you hate the name we chose. I would have to agree that this is a fabulous list of horrendous names:
Hortence, Prunella, Dorphas, Caprise, Hunter ("that’s someone who shoots living creatures with a gun, not what you name your daughter" –Janis), Tawny, Bertha, Sissy, Georgette, "anything overly creative" –aunt carol, and anything ending in –y.

#9 Least favorite names for boys. Percival, Earl, Joy (this was my aunt carol’s grandfather’s name and I must agree…not a boy’s name), junior, bubba, Ashley, Lazlo, Thor, Doyle, Herbert, Belteshazzar, Jehoaikim, Bill, Chester, Nelson, Beau.

#10 We will have to see what Luke will “Be”, but Pam Penner was right on with, “A lover of the Lord”, and Aunt Laurie was also correct in saying, “The best grandkid in the world”. There were several thoughtful answers like, “Special”(Cara & Cheri), “He will be cool because he’s related to me” (Hannah), “I’m going to go with a young adult” (Nate), “healthy, strong, loving, in pursuit of God” (thank-you Sarah), and Gramma Judy gave her opinion saying, “Musician – who sings too. Boys should have piano lessons”.

#11 My biggest craving was Pepsi, although I must admit I didn’t crave much. It was mostly normal things. However, Pepsi was definitely at the top of my grocery list every time. The weirdest things you came up with were: pickles and ice cream (Laura Neufeld)…hold the pickles please! Aunt Carol said kidney pie…bleh. Nate had to be creative and say crawfish pancakes smothered in lard…double bleh. Jenna was kind and said chocolate. Uncle Dave said peanut butter and pickle sandwiches. Kathy Heppner knows me too well and guessed peanut M&Ms…I did eat an awful lot of those didn’t I? Lots of people suggested pickles…what’s with that? If I didn’t like it before would I like it while I’m pregnant? Well, I guess it happens to some people. I just found my list of desirable foods shrank. I didn’t really branch out, no, I pruned the branches drastically. That’s what happens when you start puking things up. They become less appealing when you see them for the second time, in the toilet bowl…if you make it there.

I think everyone who participated was very creative and your personalities shone through your answers. I loved it, and Luke will too when he’s old enough to appreciate knowing how much you all loved him before he was even born. Thank-you so much! We are looking forward to having some more winners in a few more years!

The photos: Thank-you Aunt Laurie for the Occidental College sweat suit! Can you believe it fits me already? I just love hanging out in sweats. Mom made a joke when she changed my diaper earlier. When she saw the poop she said, “That was no Oc-cident!” She gets such a kick out of herself sometimes.

Saucer of Secrets

Last Thursday night while we were over at James and Jaime’s house we stuck Luke in the exersaucer for the second time. The first time we tried it he was still too floppy and couldn’t hold himself up. Last week he was strong enough to sit in it for a few minutes, so I dragged the exersaucer that Carl and Kathy loaned us up from the basement. Each day since then, Luke has been sitting in it for a few minutes at a time, building up his back strength, and figuring out how to bounce in the seat.

On Friday when Derek came home from work he looked in the living room, saw Luke in the exersaucer and said, “Hey, it’s the…saucer…something…saucer of secrets!” I laughed because he’s been reading Harry Potter lately and I thought it was a reference to “Chamber of Secrets”, but I was wrong. He was referring to the Pink Floyd album, actually titled, “Saucer of Secrets”. Luke will have an interesting childhood with a father who listens to Pink Floyd and a mother who listens to Doris Day. Speaking of music…

Saturday night Derek and I had 8 Luke-free hours together. We went to see Sheryl Crow perform in Winnipeg. I had been pumping milk all week getting ready for Saturday, doing laundry, stuffing diapers. I was so worried I would forget something. Well, I forgot to remember that Luke wasn’t coming. We got in the car and I suddenly felt bereft. I had been preparing Luke all week for a baby-sitter, but I hadn’t prepared myself!

It was amazing and wonderful to be alone with Derek for the first time since the night my parents drove Luke home in a separate car and gave Derek and me five minutes of privacy…in July. So what was wrong with me? I just felt like crying. At one point I told Derek I felt like I should be wearing a sign to let people know that I’m a mother, my baby is just staying with someone else for the evening. It felt kind of like when you forget to wear your wedding ring and you just feel naked all day. Except this was emotional. I was so happy, and relieved even, to be away from the baby for a bit, and at the same time hugely anxious and empty-feeling.

On the way home I was disappointed to realize that I had not fully taken advantage of being away since I spent most of my time trying not to be anxious. It was not that I had any specific fears for Luke, I just felt like I should be carrying someone, or remembering to grab a diaper bag, or wiping drool off his little face. All night long I felt like I was forgetting something very important.

We visited an old neighbor for a minute before dinner and she said we should challenge ourselves to not talk about Luke for thirty minutes. Without agreeing to it verbally, I think we both accepted the challenge. Strange - sometimes when Luke is with us and falls asleep I forget he’s even there. Or at least I thought I was forgetting. Maybe I was just becoming so accustomed to his presence that I stopped thinking about it as unique. When he really wasn’t there, I felt his absence like a lost limb.

Making Cents

Luke had a doctor's appointment this morning. He was 16lb, 15.5 oz. Man, he grows so fast! The doctor showed me the graph and Luke is soaring above the 98th percentile. The doctor was surprised that he was so big and we're not feeding him rice cereal or formula. He said to Luke, "Mommy is nutritious, eh?" I shined my nails on my shirt, rocked forward on my toes, shrugged and said, "Oooh, it was nothing." haha

Today is Friday. I love Fridays even though they don't quite mean what they used to. Fridays used to mean two days off from school, birthday parties, football games, movies and pizza. Those were the olden days. Now Fridays mean two days with Derek home, yard sales and a little break from blogging.

After our doctor's appointment, Luke and I met Helene, Jaime and Cameryn for lunch. We all had sommer borscht. It was delicious. After lunch we wandered over to MCC and looked through baby clothes and toys. I got a teeny tiny aloe plant for 10cents, and an Old Navy t-shirt for Luke for 75cents. I just noticed that there's no symbol for cents on my keyboard. Didn't there used to be? Where did it go? Did cents become obsolete while I wasn't looking? I still keep pennies in my wallet...what is everyone else doing with their change?

Observe the adorable boy in the photographs. Is he going to grow up without cents? What kind of a world am I raising my son in where there's no symbol for change on the keyboard? I am appalled.

Okay, I know all Mom's say this, but my kid is the cutest. I will try my best to be the type of mother who sees things objectively and never says, "Luke would never do that" or "I'm certain it wasn't Luke's fault". But I must say it, because it's true, Luke is the cutest kid.

Yesterday he spent all afternoon in his diaper because we were out and about and he got poop on his shirt. That's not the cutest. But a pudgy little rolly poley (how do you spell that?) is absolutely adorable. Last week I crocheted Luke a toque to wear to bed at night because Derek and I decided to begin turning the heat down at night and were worried about him getting cold. I read somewhere that 70% of all lost heat in babies is lost from their head. So I found some yarn, it just happens to be the yarn I used to make Cameryn's baby blanket, and popped this sucker out in an evening. I think it's pretty darling. But mostly I think Luke is darling in it.

I looked through his baby memory basket this afternoon and just about cried when I saw the toque he came home from the hospital in. Did his head ever really fit in that tiny hat? It's amazing. When I look at all the clothes he's already outgrown and see the tiny newborn babies in church I realize how incredibly fast he's growing up. All mothers say that too, "Enjoy every moment because they grow up so fast". I always said, "well of course I'm going to try to enjoy every moment. But please, time goes by so slowly, I do not need to be reminded to take advantage of it."

I am now learning to be less critical of this age-old advice. Somehow, in the rush and hurry of getting through each day, it's easy to forget to LIVE, and time flashes past, and babies grow up, and before you know it your newborn Luke is 17 pounds and outgrown most of his clothes! And I still haven't got a proper family picture. At least nobody can say I don't have enough baby pictures of Luke.

This weekend Derek, Luke and I are going to drive out to Pembina Valley and take a family picture with the beautiful Fall color. I don't have a tripod, but I figure I can prop the camera on the car or a rock or something. I am getting really excited. I just hope the weather is nice on Sunday. We can't go on Saturday because we're going to Winnipeg for a Sheryl Crow concert (Derek's birthday gift). Luke is not going to the concert. He is going to have his first real baby-sitting experience with his gramma Helene. He slept through what I thought would be his first baby-sitting experience, so it doesn't count.

Another interesting bit of news: our siding arrived yesterday! It's Prairie Gold. I am really looking forward to seeing it on the house. No one in our neighborhood has used this color siding, but I think it will really make it feel like home since I grew up in a yellow house. It looks beautiful in the box. It's sort of sandy yellow, but I'm sure it will look even more yellow in a big section on the house.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T the baby

Mom decided to take a day off today. At four a.m. she said to me, “I’m just so tired. It’s not anything I actually did; I think some days life just catches up with you. You wouldn’t understand. When will you learn English?” What she doesn’t know is that I have quite an extensive vocabulary, and have since before birth thanks to my dad, who read to me while I was still in the womb. I haven’t learned how to speak yet, because muscle coordination is coming slowly for me. It’s frustrating, but when it gets hard I remember all the other babies out there whose parents didn’t read to them, whose mothers did jumping jacks while they were pregnant and who consequently are miles behind me developmentally. It comforts me to know there are others out there starting from square one.

Well, I knew that there would be quite a few people who would be incredibly unhappy if today’s blog was blank with Mom’s suggested, “Do Not Disturb” sign. So I got up early this morning, came out to the dining room, booted up the computer and opened my own word document. Today you will hear my side of the story.

So I’ve been thinking a lot about diapers. It’s hard not to when you’ve got this big rounding swath of material sticking off your bum, making it look two times as big as it really is, and making it feel four times as big. Ah-Goo, I am certain everybody notices, they’re just too polite to say anything, but this diaper makes my butt look huge! However, the whole diaper thing is very useful for training your parents to cater to your every whim. I definitely recommend it for anyone with uncooperative parents. It can be a little humiliating at first, for the adults, until you teach them to really respect you. Pooping when they least expect it is one of the best lessons. Wait until they take you to a nice dinner party and then grunt and go red in the face until your diaper becomes volcanic. That’ll teach them some respect. R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me.

And although it’s difficult to let everyone talk to you in tiny baby voices (the same they use with the dog…ironic?), it’s best to let them think you don’t understand. If they only knew how incredibly developed my mind was they would start expecting me to do things like talk, walk, and do the dishes! Thankfully it’s the best-kept secret I’ve got. Speaking of secrets, I’ve got lots more of those than you would think. People talk around me as if I’m not even there. It’s amazing that nobody ever considers my ears, tiny though they are. I hear all the grown-up conversations! It’s awesome. Don’t tell Dad, but Mom said he’s hot. I think that means he’s in big trouble. I’m not sure, though. I still have some idioms to learn.

And on to the hot topic: the price of gas. What is with the price of gas?! It just keeps going up, and I just know somebody out there is raking in the dough while we scrape the coffers for our last cents, just to get across town! I’m going to start biking. I say we all go on strike, walk and bike everywhere, just to make those rich guys squirm. It’s amazing that we’ve allowed ourselves to become so dependent on vehicles, and subsequently on gasoline, even though on the whole we have moved closer and closer together in the cities. I think it’s all to blame on this mindset that we have to do everything faster. If we all just took a chill pill and lived where we are, instead of careening all over the city, state and country, coming home just to sleep, we could be at home long enough to grow our own vegetables – which would save us the gas from the extra trip to the grocery store.

Well, have you heard enough? I know discussing issues with a baby isn’t necessarily all that interesting to most adults, but I thought I’d give it a go. Maybe after Mom sees what I’ve written she’ll let me be a regular on this thing. It sure was fun…although Mom’s camera is super-heavy! I won’t be attempting that again any time soon. My arms are so sore!

from the Mom: The other day when Derek came home I told him how Luke had said, "Mama" and I thought maybe it was just coincidence. Derek said, "Don't be humble. Our kid's a genius." I laughed then, but after finding this post on my desktop, I'm beginning to believe it....

Teething?

Sorry we are so late today. Luke was having a wonderful nap and I hated to wake him. So here we are just posting at 3:30. I started typing this nine hours ago!

Pictures: Cameryn helps give Luke a bath (we baby-sat cameryn on Sunday night), Luke dresses up for church (sorry Mom, yes, it’s orange), Luke makes a funny face and takes the frozen key teether, and Luke sits in his car seat surrounded by his toys (this morning).

It is a dark and stormy morning here in Winkler. Derek and I both sat upright in bed at 2:45 this morning to a booming smack of thunder. The rest of the night we could hear the rain pounding on the roof, watch flashes of lightning sneak between our blinds, and the power went out at some point because this morning all the clocks were flashing. Luke happily slept through it all and woke up at four because he had wiggled up to the side of his bed and hit his head on the rails when he turned it (I’m not totally unconvinced that he doesn’t do this on purpose to wake me up and get my attention quickly).

Since it is Manitoba it would not be surprising if this rain disappeared and we had the most gorgeous day we’ve had all summer. And since it’s Manitoba it would not be surprising if it rained all day. Who knows? What I do know is that if this keeps up, I will not want to leave the house. Rainy days are perfect for staying in your jammies and curling up under blankets - not for running around town doing errands. But today is Growing with Mom at the church, and just before that there is a Ladies’ Prayer Time that I thought I’d like to attend. I always thought it was weird that someone would schedule something for right in the middle of the work day…but now I can go, and appreciate having a reason to get out during the day.

Later: We went out after all. We slept through Ladies’ Prayer, but we made it to Growing with Mom and it was very nice (we made delicious soup and biscuits for lunch). The public health nurse was there today and weighed the babies. Luke weighs a whopping 16lb, 11oz.! And guess what? The sun is out and it is a gorgeous afternoon.

Is Luke teething? – the big question. Luke has been a “little drool factory”, as Derek says, for a few weeks now. He’s not just bubbling anymore. He actually spits out a mouthful of drool every few minutes. I had to change the orange striped shirt that he wore on Sunday (in the photo) because it was sopping wet by lunch time. The overall bib is quite convenient for catching his spittle.

At first I was not convinced that all this drooling meant teeth. He’s pretty young, and babies drool, what’s new? But I’m beginning to doubt myself as he continues to reach for things and put them in his mouth. He shoves everything in his mouth, which is also pretty common in babies. The difference with Luke is that he actually looks like he’s in pain when he’s looking for things to shove in his mouth. And last night he took the frozen key teethers that we gave him. Am I imagining it, or did it actually seem to give him some relief?

What A Day!

Last Friday, Luke and I went to Winnipeg to visit a few friends. We visited Connie, Jolene, and it even worked out that we got to visit Megan! We left the house at 9am but didn't actually leave Winkler until 10:30, which made for a very long time in the car seat. It was a very long day. But Luke was a great traveller, considering our history with driving in the car seat. He slept most of the way into Winnipeg, and when he woke up he swatted at his frog until we got to Connie's.

Connie and I had planned to have lunch together. She said, "We'll order something". But what you don't know about Connie is that she's Italian, through and through. When I got there she had been cooking, I could smell it. Now did I really think she'd let a guest come over and eat take-out? She made this delicious parmesan and egg soup. We ate it with delicious, warm bread. I ate two bowls full! And just when I was about full to the gills she walked to the oven and pulled out...veal parmigian and mashed potatoes! I would not have been able to stuff any more in except it just melted in my mouth...and then came dessert! Coffee and a plate full of pastries and fresh fruit. It was all so delicious. But the best part of the whole visit was, of course, introducing Luke to his one and only Nona. "God bless him!" she said over and over in her Italian accent.

When we got to Connie's house Luke desperately needed a diaper change. Connie put a towel on her bed and we opened up the fullest diaper I think I have ever changed. Of course he decided to parade this around in front of his new friend. Men. Well, we got it changed and visited and ate in the warm kitchen and pretty soon Luke was drifting off. I laid him down in the middle of Connie's bed and we got to visit for another half hour or so. We had a long-needed visit. We heard that the new tenants in our old house are apparently hard party-ers. Too bad. Before I knew it, two hours had gone by and we had to move along.

On the way to Jolene's house, Luke cried a bit. He wasn't happy to be back in the car seat. But it was just a short trip across town and we were at Jolene's. Luke was full of smiles and even gave a few giggles during his diaper change, and was, on the whole, a joy to be with. We chatted and went shopping and Luke got an Eric Carle book, two towels and a set of washcloths from his auntie! The hours flew by and once again, it was time to move on.

We set out for the country, towards home. Domain is about a half hour South of Winnipeg. We met up with Megan in the field where her family had taken a break from harvesting the wheat and was eating hamburgers and corn on the cob. The sun was just getting low on the horizon when Luke and I bumped down the dusty road and saw, for the first time, a John Deere combine in the field. We hiked through the crunchy wheat and Megan and Luke climbed up on the combine. Dad, it was a beautiful sight, seeing my son on a big John Deere beast. Hopefully at Christmas you can introduce him to the cotton picker.

It was so great to introduce Luke to people who love him. Connie, Jolene, and Margot (Megan's Mom) have all looked forward to meeting him. I am finding it difficult to find the words to express just how beautiful and wonderful it is as Luke's mother, to see him loved so intensely. When someone grabs him out of my arms and showers him with hugs and kisses, and smiles at his drooly chub, my heart is too full for words. To be surrounded by people that love me and love Luke because he IS, is just the best feeling in the world. So even though it was a long day away from home, it was incredibly fulfilling.

Bamalama

My sister Melissa asked me if I ever sing Luke the morning songs that Mom and Dad sang to us. Mom sang, “Rise and shine, and give God the glory glory!” and Dad sang, “Get up get up the birdies are up, get up get out of bed. Get up get up the birdies are up, they’ll poop on your head!” I am sad to report that this morning was the first time I sang those songs to Luke. I do sing lots of songs to Luke, but the most popular among the peanut gallery are, “Don’t cry for me Argentina”(of which I know only the chorus, but he never tires of it), “You are my sunshine”(also only one or two verses over and over and over) and “Bamalama”(which is probably not what it’s called, but that’s what I know it by). He also likes songs about the moon, “Blue Moon”, “By the Light of the Silvery Moon”, “The Moon and You”, and seems to appreciate those in Derek’s voice very much.

I thought you might appreciate hearing the words to a song my Aunt Carol used to sing all the time. I sing different parts of it with different voices. For example, I use a woman’s opera voice, then a surfer dude’s voice, then a smurf’s voice, then a big slow bear’s voice. Luke always gets a kick out of different voices. Yesterday I was even singing my own made up nonsense, making up words that all started with “W”. “Widdow wudo whoa whoa whoa. Wusta wollow wooo wudow wudow wowow”. I started talking like Wodney the Wat. Luke fell asweep to the “W” song. Which made me vewy pwoud.

I must tell you why I was singing the letter “W”. Cameryn left behind some of her alphabet flash cards. Derek found them under the couch. I was about to return them yesterday when I thought of something far more interesting. I would send them on trips around the world, and they would stop in all the places that started with their letter. For example, W went to Waterloo, Wisconsin, Welkom, the water closet, the Wendell Wiv-uh-River, the White House, dancing with the whirling dervishes, Winnipeg, of course and all around the World (and many other places which I got out of the encyclopedia). He was Weathered and Worn by the time he Was Welcomed home. Tomorrow I will send K to Konneticut….er, maybe Kentucky. I figure K Knows all Kinds of Kool places to visit.

Well, we are off to Winnipeg to meet Connie and Jolene. Pray that the toys will keep Luke happy for 3 hours of driving!

Talking to Dad

Sorry this is so dark! You still get to hear Luke's voice, though.

Last night Derek and Luke hung out on the living room floor as they often do. They played with toys and smiled at eachother. What was really unique about this particular visiting time was Luke's talking. He just chattered on and on to his Dad, and Derek chattered back...for a full thirty minutes! I said to Derek, "This is amazing. He never talks to me for more than five or ten minutes!" I was in awe, sitting listening to Luke's little voice, watching his mouth form tiny "Oooww"s. It was wonderful. When I began to feel a little sorry for myself that Luke never talks to me like that Derek comforted me saying, "You two are good friends, and good friends don't always have to talk".

I have several videos from last night, but I think you'll enjoy these quite a lot. I have also included several pictures of Cameryn from our trip to the park yesterday. Helene, Cameryn, Luke and I walked to the park and played on the swings and the slide. Luke was in the pouch, so there are no pictures of him. I've had so much fun playing with these photos in my computer program. Cameryn is a wonderful subject! And soon Luke will be more fun to photograph too...once he can sit up.

The news: Luke splashes bathwater all over the floor if we fill the tub up. He loves playing in the warm water!

Harvest Season

Yesterday really felt like Fall. It was Tuesday, and the last Farmer's Market of the summer. I stocked up on onions, carrots, potatoes and even splurged and bought the pumpkin. As soon as I got home I made several chicken pot pies (and remembered the chicken this time). We ate one for dinner, and froze the other. Luke was very helpful and sat in the pouch the entire time I roasted chicken and made pie crust. When I took him out of the pouch while the pies baked he sat in his rocking chair and stared at his fist for half an hour! I think maybe he was overstimulated from all the peeling, chopping and rolling out crusts.

Then in the evening Derek, Luke and I went to Helene's house. Helene and I peeled, cored, sliced and prepared apples for five pies and stuck those bags in the freezer. She had already made me some apple sauce for the freezer, and she had a bunch of tomatoes left over from making salsa the day before so we made a big pot of spaghetti sauce and canned it. I remembered I had a several tomatoes sitting on my counter still, so I ran home to get them and on my way home I passed kids going home from a football game in all their gear. As I drove back to Harv and Helene's I saw the Harvest moon low on the horizon, and bigger than my car. It was so big and orange!

The moon combined with the football players reminded me of helping the Shafter High Band get ready for half-time shows, and sitting under blankets in the football stadium with grampa as he explained the rules of the game. I remember one night when Dad was in charge of taking us kids to the game and had me put on several pairs of stockings under my jeans to keep warm...it didn't help. Yes, there I sat, shivering in the stands eating twix bars, watching the moon rise over the visitor's bleachers.

So in the picture are carrots, a pumpkin (which I hope to make soup in), canned salsa and spaghetti sauce, an apple and corn on the cob! Harvest time is my favorite time of year because you finally get to eat the fruits of your labor. These are not the fruits of MY labor, but I will enjoy them and hopefully by next year have a garden of my own. The other two pictures are pictures of Luke and Derek playing, and Luke with his lamby, which he has become quite fond of. When you press it's left foot it says, "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. Angels watch me through the night, until I wake at morning light. Amen". And if you press it's right foot it says the prayer in French. Luke prefers the French. When you play it in English he frowns. He's already pursuing a multi-cultural education.

Inspiration

Luke has been my inspiration for this blog, for my photography, for my writing. But today I am uninspired. Luke is right beside me sleeping in his car seat on the floor (amazing, right? they change so quickly), yet my mind is blank. What to write?

I got some good pictures today when I didn't want to move. Luke fell asleep on my chest and I thought of all the millions of things I could do if I put him down in his crib, but I was so enjoying the warm, clean smell off the top of his head that I couldn't put him down. I risked waking him by carrying him into the bedroom to get the camera. Then I sat back down, propped the camera up on the change table and had a little photo shoot. See? You can get things done while enjoying your baby!

It's been kind of tough for me having Luke awake most of the day. Not because I need a nap (which is true), but more because I feel like the house is in a shambles. I would love a half hour uninterrupted time to race around, change the laundry, put the dishes in the dishwasher, sweep the floor, wipe the counters, fold up the millions of receiving blankets that migrate around the house, clean the bathroom mirror, wash the living room window, dust the bookshelf. Okay, a half hour would not be enough. But it would be a wonderful start.

Luke is too big for me to carry him around in my arms while I do some of those things. So instead of lugging him around and breaking my back, I leave him in his rocking chair and run to the basement to switch the laundry, he starts to cry, I leave it half done and run back upstairs to soothe him, he quiets down and I run back downstairs to finish switching the laundry...an hour has gone by and the dry laundry isn't folded, I am out of breath, and Luke is crying again.

Some days I go on strike. The crying really gets to me. So I do whatever it takes to keep him from crying and abandon any task that takes my attention away from him. Those days are quiet and pleasant, but at the end of the day when the sun stretches out lazily on my floor the dirt is even more evident; my work has piled up around my ears and I become depressed when I look in the kitchen. There's got to be a middle ground, but I have yet to find it. I guess I have his whole life to discover it though, so I'll try not to get frustrated. And still there are these sweet moments when he sleeps on my chest and I smell his hair that make the mess more bearable.

Little Goose

Pictures: Luke can hold his head up very high now and look all around. I had to include the picture that's just a little blurry because his expression is hilarious. This is the face he makes when I try to give him the soother.

As we were driving to Morris for the MCC Sale I saw a flock of geese in a field and excitedly pointed them out to Derek and Luke. Not long after that I was somewhat less excited to see a formation of geese flying South. This is the well-known sign of Fall. I have been in denial about the change of seasons, the swift passage of time. I have wanted badly for it to stay forever Summer so that my baby won’t grow up, so that I won’t be housebound, so that I can keep the windows open and enjoy an evening breeze, so that I don’t have to consider all the things I need and want to do in the near future.

The same day that I saw the geese flying South, Luke exhibited a very goose-like trait. It was also a sign of change. As we sat eating lunch at the MCC Sale, enjoying our warenika and borscht, Luke reached up and knocked my cup out of my hand. We had a pleasant drive into Morris with Luke sitting quietly in the back. He woke up half-way there and sat contentedly in his car seat…a first! But what I didn’t realize was that he was staring at his frog toy on his car seat, like he was hypnotized. When he knocked the cup out of my hand at lunch I began to suspect that something was changing in Luke’s awareness.

On the way home I discovered what was keeping Luke quiet, and the reason for his knocking the cup out of my hand. Luke can purposefully focus on, and swat at objects. To confirm my suspicions, when we got home I attached a toy bar over his rocking chair, which up until now has been superfluous because even though they may smack him in the face when he rocks, he hasn’t been able to see them or figure out what’s whacking him. However, that night he LOOKED at those toys. It really was a sort of mesmirization. He looked at them, and he swatted them.

So far his hand-eye coordination is not top grade, so the swatting is somewhat frantic, spastic, and contact is often coincidental. The rattling sounds the toys exhibit are not yet amusing or rewarding. In fact, it usually startles him. But he seems to enjoy seeing something beside mommy’s face and gets quite a kick over flapping at it (I think he was laughing especially hard when his activity caused soda to fly all over my shirt and pants).

Part of me is excited to watch Luke develop and learn. And another part of me is sad to see him grow so fast. I am happy to have a healthy baby who is learning and interacting with the world. It is fascinating to watch the gears in his brain turn. But when he’s looking at the world he’s not looking at me, and I am a selfish and jealous Mom. Up until now he has needed me for everything. Now he is looking beyond me for education and entertainment. Luke’s first steps away from mommy are more like a flight as he flaps his arms, discovering things beyond himself, and crossing the distance.

Video: I've got to apologize for all the background noise. Derek started unloading dishes right when I started taping. Anyway, you'll get an idea of what Luke spends his time doing ever since we discovered he can focus on the toys.

It Just Can't Wait

This is the video of Luke laughing this afternoon. He knocked the toothbrushes over on the bathroom sink while I was washing my hands and OH how he laughed. I ran to get the video and had to knock the toothbrushes over several more times to get this clip. I guess he liked the sound. It's exciting to see him laugh, but every time he gets excited enough to laugh it is followed almost immediately by a mini-meltdown. It's tough having so many emotions; we have to recover from them before trying it again.

The Land of Milk

Today Luke and I walked to gramma's house with the stroller, and NO CAR SEAT! Luke sat in the stroller like a big boy. We even stopped by and saw Daddy at work. Luke suggested we take him some hot chocolate for coffee break since it was a cold morning, and I agreed it was a good idea. We came the long way and walked by a field of corn and talked about agriculture and agro-economics. Luke argued that corn was the way of the future and I said perhaps we should grow less corn, drive less, and grow food. We didn't come to any conclusion yet, but it was an interesting discussion.

I have never in all my life been more impressed with my body than I am as a mother. Most women are depressed by their bodies after giving birth. Things seem floppy, saggy, stretched out. And I notice those features of my new body too; but I am so impressed! I never knew my body could change so much and still function. In fact, it's now functioning at a higher, more efficient level than it ever did before. Not only am I going through the daily grind, getting from here to there, I have run the marathon of birth, recovered, and am sustaining and nurturing a new life.

The most essential tools for sustaining this new life are without a doubt, my breasts. I went through several years of my life being ashamed that my breasts were so small. Then I became rather proud of the fact that I could go out in public without a bra and nobody would notice. Now that I am breastfeeding Luke, a bra is essential, but that's not the point. The point is that these breasts have a purpose! They get up and go to work everyday. During those years that I was embarassed of small breasts, and even the years when I was proud, I never once thought of my breasts in utilitarian terms. They were always esthetic.

These days I get more joy out of my breasts than I ever have. They are utilitarian, stretched out, saggy and miraculously full of every nutrient my son needs to grow and thrive. My body is not what it once was, and I am grateful for the changes. Those changes are the signs that my life is not just my own anymore. I share life, and it's better this way.

A few days ago Luke got to talk to his friend Ezekiel who lives in England. Ezekiel had written Luke this email:
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmSSSSSSSSSSSSSSdxx c
Luke has wanted to respond but couldn't find the words. However, during their phone conversation Luke said, "Goo" and Ezekiel replied, "Wa-ma". It was sweet and deeply touching because even though they haven't met yet, I think they both really meant what they said.

Thursday Birthday

Every Thursday is Luke's birthday. Today he is eleven weeks old. Next Thursday he will be 3 months old! It's hard to believe it's been that long when the memory of giving birth to him is still so fresh in my mind. Then I look at how strong his neck and back are, how big he is, how he has found his fingers and can put them in his mouth, how he smiles when Derek comes home from work, the ever-constant laundry and dishes and I think, "has it only been three months?"

Yesterday we made bread. I only say "We" because Luke woke up just after I added the yeast and I couldn't stop making the bread, but he was demanding some attention so I put him in his pouch and WE made bread. He was fussing, so I was dancing around and pounding, kneading, rolling the dough - it was my aerobic exercise for the day. The bread turned out so good that I ended up skipping the casserole I had defrosted and making soup so that we could eat soup and fresh bread for dinner. yum!

An old man stopped us in the store this morning and asked in broken English, "Much age?" and I said "2 1/2 months". Then he asked, "What name?" and I said "Luke". He smiled saying, "San Luke" and I replied, "Only when he's sleeping".

Laughter and Song

Pictures: Today Luke is wearing a green pair of overalls (thanks Kathy!) and his turtle shoes. I think baby shoes are just about the cutest thing ever created, but incredibly impractical for anyone whose baby didn’t walk out of the womb.

Here is a song that Luke wrote to the tune of the Johnny Appleseed Prayer. For those of you who don’t know it, the original words are:
Oh the Lord is good to me,
And so I thank the Lord
For giving me the things I need
The sun and the rain and the appleseed
The Lord is good to me.

Luke’s words are:
Oh my Mom is good to me,
And so I thank my Mom
For giving me the things I need
The food and the bath and the cleaned up pee
My Mom is good to me.

Hopefully this will give Mr. Esquivel something new to sing besides “You ain’t nothin but a baby”(feel free to substitute “mom” with “dad”)

The news: Yesterday Luke laughed. He has laughed before, but yesterday it was a long belly laugh. I was so pleased to hear his voice make such a pleasant sound that I couldn’t bring myself to leave him even for the second it would take to get the camera. He started laughing because I was laughing at him laying on his back on the floor blowing bubbles. One of the big bubbles popped and he jumped, surprised. I laughed out loud! When he started laughing I laughed even more, and he was laughing because I was laughing because he was laughing. I was so surprised to hear Luke’s laugh. It was high-pitched, gaspy and bubbly. It was a lovely baby laugh and it was adorable how his belly actually went in and out with each laugh. As soon as I can I will capture that on video and pass it along!

Strange Resemblance

When Luke was first born he totally looked like a Thiessen. When I compared Cameryn and Luke's first pictures, they looked like they could be brother and sister; they were so incredibly similar. And I believe some of my first words after he was born were, "Oh dear, he's got the Thiessen ridge between his nose and his forehead". Luke weighed the same that Derek weighed when he was born, and he's gaining weight quickly, perhaps even quicker than Derek did as a baby. Luke's eyes were dark and I was certain they would turn brown. I suppose they still could. His eyelashes were thick and dark like his Dad's. And for the first month or so everyone agreed, this baby was a Thiessen.

Perhaps it was because we are living here in Winkler, surrounded by Thiessens, that Luke's Thiessen features were noticed and commented on so much. But I was beginning to feel a little left out. Will my baby resemble me or my family at all? Secretly I was proud of the fact that his eyes were blue, but depressed in my knowledge that the chances were good they would turn brown in a few months.

The first person to point out his Bergen-ness was my friend Kathy. She came to the hospital and said, "He's got yours and Sarah's lips!" I didn't see it, he just looked all squished from being pushed out, but I was happy to hear that she thought he bore a resemblance to me. My Mom said he didn't look like anyone, he just looked like Luke. As the weeks went by I began to agree. He looked like nobody I knew. He was a strange baby, in the true sense of the word.

But not long ago my Mom said that Luke looked like my Dad's baby pictures in the picture she saw of him sitting on Megan's lap. When she pointed it out, I saw it. And not long after that Derek was sitting in the rocking chair with Luke and said off-handedly, "You've got such a round Bergen nose little buddy". Then I saw that. A few days ago plain-'ol great grammy said she thought he had my lips too, and I must agree. He's getting more and more beautiful, and strangely, that seems to correspond with his resemblance to...ME.

Rolling Lessons

These pictures are from the weekend. As you can see, Luke wore his first pair of overalls that his gramma brought over for him on Saturday, and a toque that she made. And the picture in the crib, Luke is getting rolling lessons. There's a new photo album for September here: http://picasaweb.google.com/zwiebachlover/LukeSeptember#

Luke very much enjoyed his rolling lessons this weekend. Derek and Luke hung out in the bedroom laying on the floor or in the crib rolling back and forth, back and forth. Derek is a very good teacher, and Luke gasped and smiled. This evening Luke's Dad plans to do a rolling demonstration to make sure that Luke has a really good mental picture of what he is attempting to achieve. Luke has been quite successful so far. When his arms and legs are put in the right position for him, he can toss his head to the side and roll right over! Soon he will figure out how to put his arms and legs in the right spot all by himself and then he will be "on a roll".

Helene made Luke and cousin Cameryn matching toques. Cameryn's is pink and green. I didn't get a picture of them both wearing their toques, but I did get this adorable video this afternoon. Cameryn is very sweet with Luke. She tickles his cheeks, gives him kisses, and buckles his car seat (with or without him in it). She has also learned how to say "Luke". It sounds like "oog".

Luke is still fighting a cold. This morning we tried saline drops and were quite successful in removing snot from his nose. He's very tired, but surprisingly cheerful for a sick boy. Last night we slept in the chair again to keep his head elevated. When I laid him down he kept himself awake with his snorting and coughing. But he fell asleep with a smile on his face while we cuddled early in the morning.

He is getting happier and happier everyday and is such a joy to spend time with while he smiles and chatters. His newest sound is a breathy "ahhhh", which I am trying to teach him to time so that he says it when he's done eating. We'll see :)

Tomorrow I will be discussing who Luke looks like. I know it's been delayed, but stay tuned!