Luke-powered playtime

Luke's first spoon feeding

Luke tried rice cereal for the first time on November 12, 2009. We mixed about a tablespoon of cereal with about a quarter-cup of formula, and he seemed to enjoy it for the most part. He got the hang of opening his mouth for the spoon and closing his mouth around it, but couldn't seem to keep it in his mouth. Of course, he got it all over himself and his high chair, and I had it on myself as well. It was mostly just for practice (for all of us!).

Check out the video of his first few bites below:

Wurstfest 2009

While Darin was in town, we took him to New Braunfels' 10 Day Salute to Sausage, better known as Wurstfest! We went on the last Saturday night of the whole shebang, which meant it was beyond packed with sausage and beer lovers. We braved the lines and the crowds to get our fix of overpriced (but delicious and cold) Shiner Bock, our annual Wurstkabob from New Braunfels Smokehouse (that's five kinds of wurst on a stick), and Ryan's Wurstfest hat got to make an appearance as well. Luke wore the baby lederhosen I crocheted for him (which I guess makes it NOT lederhosen, but yarn-hosen or something) and a great time was had by all.

From Wurstfest 2009 (with Darin!)

It was also nice and warm this year, as opposed to last year when I was pregnant and it was freezing cold and I didn't get to have any beer. It was just better all around this year!

Luke Visits the Capitol

On November 7th, we visited the Texas State Capitol in downtown Austin with Sarah's cousin Darin. Darin was in Texas for some training and managed to get to Austin from San Angelo to see us!

We took him to see the State Capitol, and it was Luke's first visit as a new Texan also. We explored the House and Senate chambers (we are in the Senate chamber here), peeked down into the legislative library, and checked out all the floors of the Capitol building itself. Luke even had an Official Diaper Change in an out-of-the-way corner outside of the Governor's press room. (I found it somewhat fitting.)

We also went underground to the Capitol Annex, where Ryan told us all about getting to work inside the Capitol when he covers events there. We marveled at all the pink granite and strolled through the gift shop, of course.

Luke has now made his pilgrimage, and we're glad that Darin got to visit the Capitol with us too!

Luke's First Halloween

Luke had a pretty uneventful day, especially considering his first Halloween was on a Saturday. But Daddy had to work and deal with all the crazy Halloween revelers in downtown Austin, so Luke and Mommy hung out all day.

He started the day dressed up as a pumpkin, complete with green pants and candy corn socks, but as the day wore on the drool won the war and we had to retire the pumpkin shirt. He did get to wear his super-Halloween-y outfit to the library though!

In the afternoon, Luke changed into a baseball uniform, but he took too many slides into home plate and had to change into his away uniform. Luckily the third outfit made it - a pitcher of course, because we had a ball but no bat.

We got buckled in and went to visit a couple of moms from the MYC group at church. We went by and saw Carey and her family and her very spooky neighborhood, and then went and visited Kari and her mom and baby Delaney. Kari gave Luke a bunch of Butterfingers, even though he only likes eating his own fingers right now!

Luke was pretty tired from all the trick-or-treating when we got home, so he took a nap and then we read THREE books before he went to sleep. What a day!

Luke o'lantern

With the pumpkin we bought at the pumpkin patch, I decided to commemorate one of the scariest things of all - parenthood! So I designed a pumpkin carving template in Photoshop and carved a jack o'lantern with Luke's face on it. I think it's pretty spooky!!