7 months

Well Luke, you are officially closer to being 1 than you are to a newborn. Where on earth has the time gone? I swear it was just recently that I was laying on an operating table as the doctors worked quickly to get you out faster than I thought was possible!

You are becoming more and more like a little boy every day and less and less like a baby. It is so so fun watching you learn new things, and chuckling at you when you get SO frustrated that everything is so difficult for you to accomplish.

You are THIS CLOSE to crawling - you get up on your hands and knees and start rocking back and forth...you just haven't quite grasped the "one-hand-and-one-knee-at-a-time" concept yet. You're getting there though. For now, you settle on army crawling your way around. Although usually you go more backwards than forwards....that drives you crazy.

You learned to go from your tummy to sitting up all by yourself! Let me tell ya....I think this was better news for me than for you. I no longer have to sit you up every 3 minutes after you try to grab something, nose dive, face plant, and then want to start that process all over again.

You learned the joy of peek-a-boo this month too. FUNNIEST GAME EVER. Seriously.

You are also MUCH more comfortable in the carts at Target (because it's basically the only place we go) and you do this odd thing where you ALWAYS turn completely sideways in your high chairs or carts. So odd.

Here's a picture of your very first airplane ride!!

I swear you are the quirkiest little baby. You were such a goof to Grandma while we were in Wisconsin. Everytime you saw her you put on the CHEESIEST smile you could muster. We all really enjoyed it.

You finally got to meet your Hero Uncle Tyler. He has been in basic training/AIT learning to be a fire-fighter in the Army for the last 8 months. He came home on May 22nd while we were there and I was SO excited to see him again and for you to finally meet him. Everyone that knows you and him think that's who you most look like right now. I might have to agree with that. Christensen through-and-through. (please ignore the creepster face tyler has on...)

The pictures of Ty in his uniform were taken on Memorial Day. Grandpa and Grandma's ward did a service project that day, and to start it off Tyler read a great Hero's Poem.

Don't worry - I only cried a little bit.

We are so proud of Tyler and the sacrifice he is willing to give for our country and freedom.

We had a great time in Wisc. playing with everyone. You were very popular. Grandpa loved you maybe more than anyone...you guys seriously bonded. I hope that continues forever! He keeps telling me now how much he misses you and how happy you make him (and we've only been home for like 4 days!)

You also got to meet the infamous "annie/max" as your cousins call them...I am positive Annie was more scared of you than you were of her. And you LOVED Max.

He was so good - he was patient with you while you pulled his ears and picked up his paws while he was sitting and made him slip and almost fall multiple times.

This picture was the first time we sat you next to him...a little unsure about what to do!

*Bad Mom Warning*

Apparently babies under 1 year old are not supposed to eat citrus fruits due to the acidic nature of them....oops. You LOVE oranges! Grandma cut one up while we were there, gave you a slice and you couldn't get enough of it! You ate at least 2 full large oranges while we were there.

It was the messiest, stickiest, funniest treat ever!

You attended your first little league game too! I was so proud...you sat through the whole thing and didn't even complain. Hopefully it was your first of many little league games!!

While we were there waiting for his games to start (at a tournament in racine), we took a quick jaunt to Lake Michigan just to be able to get a picture and say you have been there before!

When Uncle Jake put you on his shoulders, you were thrilled....look at all that great hair to play with!

Let me tell ya, you just love your little Amb almost more than me...ALMOST.

She is just SO FUN.

You get so excited to see her and she is one of the few people you are always comfortable with and love to play with. This is a picture of us in Costco while you were blowing raspberries on her face. You started doing that instead of kisses....classy.

You had your first swimming experience today. And you L O V E D it. I mean what's there not to love right? I completely agree. It was basically an extended and oversized bath! And even better - you had your friend Paxton there with you to enjoy it! I'm pretty sure the swimming thing is going to be quite popular around here for the next few months.

You are starting to pull yourself up on furniture, and again, the frustration hits when you aren't able to balance yourself up for more than like 5 seconds.

You are getting more and more fun, and more and more crazy every day. We love you lots lukey - or schmanukey or manukey or panukey as you are endearingly referred to by your crazy aunt!

Love you lots

Mom & Dad