Christmas with a Baby!

The holiday has come and gone.  I get so sad every year when it is all over.  It just seems that the anticipation builds and builds until that Christmas day and then everything flies by in a blur.  We have wonderful memories to look back on though from the weekend.  It was great experiencing the joy of Christmas with Lukas this year.  We were busy going back and forth from Great Bend to Claflin and even a trip to Larned, but it is all worth it when you get to see everyone for the holidays.

Here are some pictures from Lukas' first Christmas.

The Strube Great-Grandchildren on Christmas Eve

It was great getting to spend some quality time with all of Erin's family.  Evin and Erin did discover how good their wives are at cards, to bad they were on the other team :)

Lukas opening presents.  He would grab the paper just to put it in his mouth, not real interested in the toy inside.

Santa even came to visit!

Christmas pjs for the Keeley girls.  Nothing like a good pair of footie pajamas!

WE MATCH

My boys are just ADORABLE!!

Don't take my tissue paper or fingers and everything will be good.

Cousin Cade enjoying the presents as well.

Check out the new bumper car from Grandpa and Grandma Beck

Hanging out in the tent with Loghan

Beck cousins in their pajamas

Figuring out his new Jumperoo from Grandpa and Grandma Keeley

Erin and I are still in a little bit of shock of all the toys that a 5 month old can accumulate already.  Lukas is starting to figure out all of his new things.  We are now re-cooperating and getting some much needed rest before we head back to work next week.  Thankfully Lukas is loving the sleeping in idea too!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and have a Happy New Year!!!

5 Months Old

The month of December always seems to fly by.  Things are hectic and crazy with the preparations of the holiday.  We've had the Christmas programs, shopping, wrapping gifts, cooking, and   Well in the middle of all the chaos, Lukas is turning 5 months old.
Lukas continues to change and become more interactive.  We are getting very anxious for Christmas and to see how he does with some of his new toys.  He has started to find an interest in things around him and wants to grab everything.

Things about Lukas:

• Still no teeth, but a lot of drool
• Laughs and smiles a lot (that smile can fix anything)
• He has figured out that rolling can get him closer to things now, so he rolls with a purpose
• Tries to grab anything around him to chew on
• Plays with his feet and pulls off his socks
• Wants to drink anything you are drinking
• Enjoys hearing his own voice
• At his 4 1/2 month appointment he was 13lbs. 9oz  and 25 inches long
• Big news of the month.... Lukas is starting to sit all by himself

Here are more pictures of the past month

A few of our pictures we got taken.

Helping Dad put the star on the tree

Hanging out with Aunt Beth

Sitting all by myself

Lukas enjoyed cuddling with Santa

Mom, why so many pictures?

Omaha

Last weekend we made a trip to Omaha to do our Christmas shopping.  I know Omaha may seem a little random, but if you know me then you may already know that my sister Christy lives there.  None of us had ever been to Omaha so we were very excited to check it out.  I have to say that Christy and Mitch are great at entertaining guests!  We spent most of Saturday doing our shopping.  We had not done any, so we had quite the list.  The shopping was great; the weather not so much.  We woke up with a couple inches of snow on the ground and the snow blowing side ways in the 4 degree weather.  Lets just say, "Welcome to winter in Nebraska."  But besides the weather, the day was great.  We went to 2 malls and Target and accomplished almost everything we needed.  Lukas (and Erin) did AMAZING!!  Lukas just hung out in his stroller and did a lot of people watching.  He loved all of the things going on around him.  He was quite the little trooper :)  Overall it was a great weekend and we are getting closer to being ready for Christmas!

Relaxing after a long day of shopping!

Cousins

Over Thanksgiving break we got to spend a lot of time with our families.  It was great to get to see everyone and catch up.  Lukas got a chance to hang out with a few of his cousins.  He is still trying to figure out how to play with the other little people around, but we sure are entertained by watching him try.

Hagen, Lukas and Loghan

They are such good friends already trying to hold hands :)

Cade trying to dribble Lukas' head like a basketball.

Lukas is not so sure about this guy.

I think Lukas is wondering why we are just letting this happen.

I am looking forward to when these guys get a little older and become great buddies.  I loved getting to visit my cousins and such wonderful memories from it.  I'm sure they will get into a lot of trouble together.


On another note about the weekend, it was also a tough weekend for my family.  My Grandma Keeley passed away on Sunday.  She was an amazing woman and such a wonderful grandma.  I have so many memories growing up from playing games, tea parties with jelly fingers, the goody bag, all the family vacations, and the books she used to read.  It is always so hard to lose someone, but I have to keep reminding myself she is in a better place now and back with Grandpa.  We will miss her a lot, but I know she is watching over us from above!

Grandma and Lukas when he was just a couple weeks old.

4 Months OLD

Here we are again, another month has flown by.  Lukas is 4 months old!  My little baby boy is getting so big!  I looked back through pictures a couple of days ago on our camera, and I can't believe how tiny he was when he was born.  He just keeps changing!

Lets recap:

Lukas when he was just a little guy.

And now we are growing like crazy

Our monthly photo shoot:

Daddy got me laughing!!

Lukas this month:

• Smiles and laughs with us
• Has become a Daddy's boy.....I guess I better get used to it
• Was sleeping really well for awhile going through the night or only waking up once, but recently that has changed.  We are getting up quite a bit now, and boy is he mad when he does.
• Loves to look around and figure things out around him.
• Has attended a couple of basketball games and likes all the action.  He has been very content just sitting and watching.
• Wearing 3-6 month clothes
• Still loves to stand
• He still has blue eyes and a red tint to his hair (that comes from Erin's family)
• Drooling all over the place....we are wondering if teeth are coming soon
• Starting to stick his tongue out and blowing bubbles
• Rolls over all the time.  He likes to be on his tummy more than his back.
• Scoots all over in his bed at night

Other pictures from the month.

These fingers are so important...he must use them to calm down.

All cuddled up to stay warm

He looks a little surprised and scared.

Loving bath time!

Taking a little nap by the fire

Family Photos

Last Thursday we got our first official family pictures taken!  I had been preparing/stressing about these for weeks.  I just wanted them to turn out perfect.  I know that a baby changes quickly and they will be outdated practically by the time we even receive them, but I still had high hopes.  Lukas is not real sure of cameras yet so I was hoping just to get pictures of him atleast looking at the camera.  I figured a smile in one of the pictures may be too much to ask for.

I don't know how they turned out yet, but it was an experience getting them taken.  Lukas was just amazed by the new surroundings and couldn't help but look at everything but the camera for the first part.  Then we got him looking, but it was a pretty blank stare.  The poor little guy had an upset stomach I think too because we ended up spitting up all over our new sweater and the blanket we were laying on.  He was a trooper though.  I will let you know how they turned out when we get them back, but for now, expect something similar to this.....

Happy Halloween!!!

Halloween is so much fun when you get to dress up your kid and take him around and to show him off.  Erin and I did just that.  The candy was not as important this year since Lukas can't eat it, but I'm sure that day will come soon.  We stopped by a few friends and family for this year just to say, "Happy Halloween!"  Lukas didn't know what was going on, but he was a good sport about it.

Trying to figure out what he is wearing.

Stopped by to see Grandpa Mike and Grandma Jan.

Our "Little Monster" by the end of the night.  Trick-or-Treating is tough on such a little guy :)

Erin and I did dress up for the weekend as well.  We went to a Halloween Party with some of the coaches and their wives.  We had a great time even though neither of us won the best costume award, maybe next year.  :)  I don't have great pictures, but these will do.

We were the 3 Blind Mice

Erin was a Cowboy riding a bull