He's a Babblin' Boy

Lucas is aware of the camera now more than ever, so catching special moments like this one, have proven to be a real challenge. However, I did succeed and it paid off! Lucas is a babblin' boy these days and has really discovered his voice & its' different pitches. He loves sucking on his fingers & I'm almost certain the teething progress may very well be in the early, early stages because he drools NON STOP! :) In this video, Lucas is laying on his play mat on top of my bed. He patiently lays there and plays every day while I get ready. He started talking a mile a minute, so I crawled on to the floor (so as not to disturb his story), grabbed my camera, and carefully raised it over his head to catch him. SOOO cute!

As always, Lucas remains a daddy's boy :) He loves sitting on his lap, playing with his teething toys, and even takes some of his best naps when he's with his Dad.

I had Al grab the camera and take one of the two of us! I find myself feeling kind of sad when I go through all the pics and realize that him and I don't have a lot together. That's completely my fault though too- I like being the one behind the camera, and I think we can all agree that Alex is far more photogenic :)

Lucas has been trying really hard to gain his independence with his head & neck. We recently bought him a Bumbo chair, which is made for babies his age & allows them to develop strength in their neck and posture. The first day we put him in there, he wasn't quite sure what to think of it! But now, he absolutely loves it! (See pic below.) And it gives my arms and back a break too, so I have no complaints :)

Breakfast with Lacy

Alex, Lucas, and I were able to meet Lucas's birth mom, Lacy, for breakfast over the weekend. It was so wonderful to see her & to hear of all the exciting things she's doing in her life. She has such a sweet spirit and presence about her, and we love her dearly!

Easter Day

Happy Easter!

We had a great Easter this year. It was Lucas's first "big" holiday with us & we felt especially thankful for him on the Easter holiday as we reflected on its' meaning and purpose. We are so thankful for eternal families!

We had an absolute BLAST coloring eggs with family! We spent the evening with each other gathered around the table for a nice dinner, followed by an egg hunt outside with the nieces, and then topped it off coloring eggs.

My mom always had so many fun traditions for every holiday growing up. For Easter, she made each of us hand-woven baskets, and the night before Easter, we would choose a couch or chair in the family room to place the empty baskets. In the morning, one by one, we would come back out to that same family room and find our baskets filled with candy and small gifts. I wanted to do the same for Lucas, so we put out his basket, and in the morning, he found this giant frog in its' place. He LOVES frogs!

Amrylin, our niece, was so excited about the egg hunt outside. I filled plastic eggs with princess jewlery, bouncy balls, and candy, and then Alex hid them all around the front yard. She had so much fun finding the eggs with her sister, then bringing them in and "cracking" them open to find the surprise inside. Children make holidays so much more FUN!

Our brothers & sisters enjoyed the egg coloring just as much as the little ones! (If you don't believe me, refer to this pic :)

Family Fun

What a FUN and MEMORABLE week it has been! Alex, Lucas, and I were able to spend lots of time with family, both immediate and extended, and feel so thankful for the opportunity. As always, time went by way too fast, but thank goodness for cameras & being able to capture moments in time.


Lucas was able to spend lots of time with his MeMa and it was so fun listening to my Mom talk about how much he's changed & grown. She spoiled him with lots of hugs, kisses, and love, and it meant a lot to Alex and I to see him get some "Grandma" time :)

We were given a very special treat during our visit- Lucas, Alex, and I along with my Mom and family, were able to meet up at the park & spend the afternoon with Jalen and his family. In the video above, my Mom is pushing Jalen on one of the park's swings and if you listen closely, you can hear Jalen's sweet laugh in the background. He loves his Grandma Sandy!

Jalen also loves Ethan- they are just the cutest little buddies on the playground. They were dumping sand on each other's heads, chasing each other up the slides, and were giving each other a sweet kiss on the cheek before leaving the park. It was such a fun afternoon!

Lucas also met a few new cousins this weekend-the pictures I've included really say it all :) Lucas and Nathan are only 4 weeks apart, but the pictures show just how fast and big Lucas is growing to be. Ethan is still the biggest sweetheart in the world, so kind and helpful, and says Lucas's name in the sweetest way... "Loo Kuss". Makes me smile every time I hear him say it.

In the video below, Nicole and I layed our two boys down next to each other, and at first, Lucas is busy moving his arms and legs as usual and Nathan is laying still and calm, but they soon pick up on each other's energy and personalities, and you really seem them recognize each other is there. SOOO cute! It was a great trip!

He's a Smilin' Man!

He's a smiling boy!!!

Lucas has really come in to his own self and personality over the past few weeks, and recently learned how to express his happiness and excitement-with a smile! Actually, with many smiles :) He finds Dad to be especially funny. When Alex gets home from work, he sneaks up the stairs and crawls on the floor over to the couch so as not to let Lucas see him right away. Alex says his name and Lucas immediately starts searching with his eyes for his Dad. Alex slowly peeks up over the couch and the moment the eye contact is made, Lucas starts kicking his legs like a wild man and the biggest smile spreads across his sweet face.

We've been working on tummy time and really helping him hold up his neck, and one way we practice is by Alex sitting him up against the couch's enormous pillows (see video above). Alex takes Lucas's favorite stuffed animal-a little frog with a bell inside- and brings the cutest smile on Lucas's face.

The first few months have been so special & we've really tried to take every moment in and treasure them. With his many changes over the past week or so, we are getting even more excited for the future and seeing the adorable little guy he's turning in to!

We love you sweetheart.

*Our Little Snugglebug*

It has been far too long since our last post, but as you can tell, we've been a little...busy :) Just a few weeks ago, we were blessed with a little boy- Lucas Alexander- who was brought to us by an extraordinary young lady. Those few weeks flew by, each day filled with eager anticipation for his arrival, and we are happy to announce that he is finally here! Our hearts couldn't be more full of joy, love, and gratitude not only for our new little guy, but for his entire birth family who we love so dearly. ~Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!~

Lucas is now going on 3 weeks old and we can't believe how much he's changed! He's weighing in at a healthy 9lbs 2oz, 21 inches long, and as alive and active as can be. We can already tell by his incredibly "straightforward" personality -wink, wink- that he'll have no problem going for the things he wants in his life. He has the sweetest smile, the most sincere blue eyes, and a head of hair that even I'm jealous of. He's snorting, and kicking, and loves, loves, LOVES to snuggle. My mom gave him a nickname- she calls him her "snugglebug". He knows the moment you lay him down, at which point he'll open his eyes wide open, grunt a few times, and wait for you to scoop him back into your arms until he's completely asleep. And we LOVE it!