Dear Lucas (43 Weeks),

This week you have certainly kept me busy and on my toes. This past week is the week that you learned how to clap. One day I was changing your diaper and said "yeah, all clean" and you just starting clapping! I know in the past we have cheered you on for something and said "yeah" and clapped our hands, but never consistently. Now when someone cheers "yeah," you applaud. "Yeah Daddy's home" (you clap) "Yeah time for bed" (you clap) "Yeah we have fake Cheerios" (Clap). When your Daddy saw you clap for the first time he lite up and I remember saying to him, "Did you ever think a kid clapping could be so cool?" The first time you clapped you might as well have written your name for the first time or got up and did 5 back flips in a row. Each small new discovery we get to watch you make is a new chance for us to sit back in amazement and think "wow, we are raising a kid and he is turning out okay in spite of it!"

Now that you have been crawling for a few weeks you are getting bored of crawling around in the living room and you try to crawl into the smallest places possible. You also try to crawl from the living room into the kitchen and dining room area. Every day you try to sneak past your Dad who has decided that you aren't allowed yet past the couch. The funniest thing is when he tries to explain to you that the land beyond the couch is the "no no zone" and he will put his arm out in front of you to mark the line. You just look up at him and keep on crawling full speed because now you have a fun obstacle to get around, under, or over. I will sometimes hide down the hall and watch you two together without your Dad knowing. It is very hard not to bust out loud laughing. Since you can't get into the No-No zone you will usually head to the other end of the living room which is your room. At nine months you are already a great hide-and-seek player. Today you crawled behind the rocking chair in your room and if I hadn't watched you go back there I think I might have thought that someone had come and stolen you away.

Every once in while you will take advantage of the slackness of your parents and the moment we aren't looking directly at you, you head for the no-no zone. One of the reasons that the dining room is off limits is because that is where Jadie's food and water bowls are kept. No matter how many times we move Jadie's food you find it. Tonight in the two seconds it took me to put the camera on the charger you were already well into the kitchen headed full speed to Jadie's shiny silver bowls. Luckily she had already finished her dinner a few minutes before. When I got to the kitchen you were happily splashing in Jadie's water bowl.

I'm really glad that you and Jadie have gotten along so well. You also now say "DAAAY-DEE" and wave at her when you first see her when you wake up from a nap. When you are playing on the floor you could careless what your Dad and I are doing as long as you have Jadie by your side. You are always crawling around on the floor looking for one of DAAAY-DEE's toys to hold out for her to either take (like her ball) or play tug of war with (like her dead stuffed animals.) I bet if we left you home with Jadie babysitting you that you wouldn't even miss us. I'm sure we would find you happily splashing around in her bowl while you shared your Cheerios with her.

You can outlast Jadie in the energy department and day. Ever so often she takes a break from playing and just lays down. Instead of pulling or poking at her or going off and finding a new toy you take these opportunities to cuddle with her and you will lay you head down next to her and wait for her to get back on her feet and then you are back to playing. One day I know you guys are going to fall asleep curled up together (just like when you were a newborn and she would come lay by you when you were sleeping.)

You already are a very thoughtful kid. You are always trying to share your food and your Paci with everyone. I can't even count the number of times you will hold up a handful of slobbered on Cheerios for me or Jadie. Every once in a while if you find a long lost paci in your never ending quest to crawl under stuff you will try to shove it into the mouth of the closest living thing. Tonight you offered me a handful of Cheerios and as I politely declined you didn't skip a beat and just shoved them into your mouth. I noticed that you had a Cheerio hanging from your Chin and decided to see if you would let me randomly stick Cheerios to your face. So not only do I have a kid who likes to give me sweet baby kisses and lets me hug him all day long... I also get to stick Cheerios to your face and take pictures of it... if I had known that I would of had you years ago! Your Dad couldn't believe I was actually sitting there sticking faux Cheerios on your face, but I think he was just jealous he didn't think of it first.

Bugga-Bugga, I love you to the moon and back,

MaMa