Dear Lucas (51 Weeks),

Wow, can this really be your last week of babyhood! Didn't we just bring you home yesterday? Seriously, it just does not make sense to me that next week you will be 1 year old!

These last few weeks we've been spending a lot of time with your Great-Grandma Carey. She is living with my parents right now and the days both of them have to work Lori and I take turns staying with her. I'm glad that you are getting to spend so much time with her even if you probably won't remember it later. Usually you just look up at her and at her walker and take off to explorer your Grandparents' house. You always seem to go to the most "unbaby proofed" parts of the house... "hmmm there is a fan on there, maybe I should try and stick my fingers in it!" You make sure we both get our exercise... which is a good thing since you start your twice weekly physical therapy on Friday.

Since you are into climbing on and OVER everything it is no longer possible to just lay you down on a bed surrounded by pillows. Now you take your naps in your "baby jail." You lay right down in it and go to sleep just like you do in your crib at home. You just aren't fond of waking up in it and then having me take pictures of it when all you want is OUT!

I always set your booster seat on the table so you and your Great Grandmother can get a good look at each other while you are both showing down. Today there was a bouquet of flowers that one of the Mom's from the pool party yesterday brought over. You could care less about eating because you were too busy studying the brightly colored flowers.

I was surprised by how gently you reached out to touch them. I figured you would reach out a hand and come back with a handful of petals. Instead you would cautiously run your fingers across the petals. I think that maybe we are succeeding at teaching you to touch things more gently. I have noticed that you no longer smack Jadie to touch her instead you slowly and gently pet her fur. Now if only I could get you to stop trying to yank my hair out!

After your Grandpa got home we met your Dad at Lori and Tony's house for dinner. We had hamburgers and your favorite... baked beans! We watched a movie after dinner and suprisingly you sat most of the time in my lap just cuddling with me. Near the end of the movie you started to get a little antsy to I handed you my cell phone (yes the same one I thought you killed last week... it is now dried out and working again.) Tonight you didn't try to eat it, instead you flipped it open and proceeded to "talk" to your imaginary friend. I guess when you realized nobody was "talking" back to you, you decided to happily bang it against your head.

This week your Dad has been out of work because he hurt his back. He is going to physical therapy. After his initial injury the Doctor told him he could not pick up anything over 5 lbs and now he has slowly worked up to being allowed to pick up 10 lbs. It is killing him to not be able to pick you up. He keeps saying to you "Daddy is ok! Daddy is Superman! Nothing is wrong!" Tonight I laid you against his chest and he gave you the worlds biggest hug. Don't be surprised if you get even more kisses and hugs then usual (if that is even possible) because we can't believe that in a week our little baby won't be a baby anymore!

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

MAMA!!!