Baby Bigfoot

Our little pumpkin's feet have been turning purple on the Orchard Park playground swings each morning, as Fall is here and the dawns are brisk.

The Chinese grandmothers in Orchard Park love Luke, and take very good care of him. They even hold him while their own little munchkins play. They clap in his face to make him grin, and they crouch down eye-to-eye and chatter at him in Cantonese and Mandarin. He loves them.

However, their love is also a "tough love," and sometimes they have to deliver Luke's mommy bad news: They regularly point to Luke's bare feet, reprove Bethany with their pointer fingers, and then rub their own grandbabies' nicely bundled feet. Nonverbal communcation is still communication, clear as day. Bethany reports to Richie whenever she is soundlessly yelled at for not bundling her baby's feet properly. It happens often.

So... We went to the baby store in downtown Davis today, in hopes of buying Luke some big, soft, leather booties to prevent further silent scoldings.

Seeing as Luke is 8 months old, we picked up the 6-12 month Robeez booties, assuming they would fit. The sales lady came over to help us, tried to see if they would work, and chuckled. She said he has very big feet. Big. Fat. Wide.

(Mom proudly and biasedly interpreted the saleslady's adjectives as "cute.")

Speaking of cute, tonight in the grocery store Richie made Luke laugh so hard as he pushed him along in the shopping cart, tickling the fat globs under his chin. Heads turned. Everyone around us got a big grin. One of the checkers heard Luke's hearty laugh, and although her checkstand shoved everyone else away with a sign that read, "Closed," she waved her arms and shouted, "Come over here! Come over here to my lane!"

Needless to say, Luke has become a very popular fellow wherever he goes, lighting up people's day with his ready smile, white hair, stare-you-down mostly-blue-but-maybe-turning-hazel eyes, and happy happy happy personality. If you get to know him well enough, he gives you tight, long hugs around the neck, and kisses that melt your heart. He grabbed Auntie Gracie's face the other day with both hands, pulled her face toward his, and smacked an open-mouthed kiss right on her lips. When you clap, he will clap right along with you, with his right fist closed, left hand open, and a mouth opened wide in delight. He jiggles his whole body as he claps. Luke babbles readily, mostly fond of the BA BA BA sort of babbles, and also sporting a FA FA FA and VA VA VA when the mood is right. When Luke is concentrating on a very serious activity, such as plucking up a green pea with his thumb and pointer fingers, or trying to cross the vast expanse between the exersaucer and the chair, he emits a low AAAAAAAA that sounds like the dull drone of a far-off leaf blower.

And that, friends, is how our little Luke is doing these days.

Now, after a much-too-long commentary, here are the pictures.


He's got the game face on. Watch out.


Showing off his dribbling skills. This picture is a rare find: He is doing something with his right hand. Although it is technically too early to determine right- or left-handedness, everyone who watches Luke for a while says they'd be surprised if he's not a lefty. (Like his dear Auntie Mandie!) Shiloh heartily approves of this prediction and says, "He'll be a baller!"


Tired of the basketball, it's time to eat grass.


Richie emerges from Luke's bedroom victorious. He successfully put the baby to sleep. Superdad!


Even superdads have their moments of weakness, like gagging at the smell of a foul diaper. He hung in there and did everything he could to cope... (Mom never offered to help change that one.) (She didn't want to interfere with the male bonding.)


Oh, what a wonderful day when Great Auntie Robin came to play! She generously donated her lunchtime to little Luke so we could go on a bike-ride date to In N Out. Luke had such a spectacular time, reading, swinging, eating, singing... what Lukeys and Aunties do best. Auntie Robin had a good time, too, she assured us, and even met a grandmother out at the swings who invited her to visit her in India... As exciting as an invitation to India was, the highlight for Aunt Robin was when Luke and she were sitting down in the living room, playing, and Luke spontaneously crawled over to her and wanted to hop in her lap. (He loves you, Auntie Robin! Come back again!)


When you're too young for cigars, a thick cylinder of apple will have to do.


Happy!


HAPPY!


No explanation necessary. Just cute.


He still has a fetish for the ethernet cord. "Why?" we wonder. "WHY???"


Luke's favorite food these days is maple-flavored goat yogurt. It makes Mom want to hurl, but he sure digs it.


See?


Hot husband, hot Grandma's car, hot new roof racks, hot Neon we still need to sell... (anyone in the car market? It's a great car... you'll love it...)


Yes, Richie surfed again! For the first time in four months! SO SO SO thankful that God healed him right up! He doesn't even have a limp anymore.


Thank you, Grammy, for taking Luke for six (SIX!) hours so we could have an Old McDonald-free trip to the ocean! What a treat. We marveled at what an adjustment it is to add a third person to your family, and then how used to it you get, and how much you love that third little person, and how you can't imagine life without him anymore...