Luke is terrified of all dogs except ours (and maybe my parents dogs who are my dogs siblings). And he's not only not scared of ours but loves to throw their ball for them, harass and boss them around. Go figure.
Actually, I know the fear is probably because of his poor vision and that he knows what to expect of Lola and Rocco whereas other dogs are strangers and he doesn't trust them. Fair enough. I'm sure he'll grow out of it.
So my newest our dogs/Luke struggle (usually it's just "Luke- don't push Rocco" or "Luke- stop throwing the ball directly AT Lola") is he wants to sleep with Lola at nap time. While this is very cute, Lola usually uses Luke's nap time to do anything but sleep (freedom from the ball-throwing 3 year old!) so it's not an option. But Luke and I discuss/debate this in depth daily. And Lola makes matters worse by coming up on his bed and looking so sweet... I actually gave in the other day but then Lola BOLTED out of the room the moment I started to close Luke's door. Smart girl.
Very cute. Who could say no?
Who can resist this sweet little face? 8 years old and Lola still looks and acts like my feisty puppy.
Rocco on the floor in front of Luke's bed. Probably trying to figure out where the nearest bridge is so he can throw himself off of it (Rocco is VERY needy and cannot be left out). He's just a cuddly teddy bear of a dog.
I was informed that I had to take a picture of "just my face."
I can only imagine how nuts things are going to be when baby shows up in February (c-section scheduled for February 22 at 12:30pm!) We're so fortunate in that the dogs are very low maintenance (no shedding, don't require lots of walking, super sweet and loving) but still- they want a piece of mommy whenever they see I've got a free lap. Hard to believe I'm going to have 4 "babies"!
Luke insists on "driving" my car everyday after therapy or school. "Driving" to him is kneeling behind the wheel, messing with my controls and pretending to honk and yell at other drivers. I have no clue where he gets that last part from...
I had a scarf on the other day and Luke informed me that he "needed" it to drive. And suddenly he was less interested in driving and more interested in doing a high fashion photo shoot.
Happy to report that Luke saw Santa and he didn't cry! He didn't crack anything close to a smile either but baby steps, right? Santa was very patient and spoke a lot to Luke and he answered Santa a couple of times. But for the most part, Luke was just completely into the small candy cane that Santa immediately gave him (smart Santa) and that was about it.
Luke! This is Santa! Ok, I'll just take the picture.
My parents are forcing me to talk to you.
Candy required.
The funniest thing is Luke often mentions that he wants a pair of boots when he sees me putting on mine. So I told him to tell Santa that's what he wants for Christmas and maybe (definitely) Santa will bring them for him Christmas morning! I kept reminding him to let Santa know that when he sits on his lap but of course, he clammed up and didn't say a word about it when the time came. 30 minutes later we're in the car and Luke exclaims "OH! I didn't tell Santa I wanted boots! We have to go back and tell him!" Alrighty. We promised to sent Santa an email about it and fingers crossed he'll bring Luke boots (he will) Christmas morning!
After breakfast, Luke likes to tinker with Daddy in the garage but before breakfast he's what I now refer to as our "bed troll." After he wakes up (in his own bed,) goes potty and takes his medicine, Luke wants to sleep in Mommy and Daddy's bed. But he really has no interest in sleeping, just hiding in the covers and dictating who must "sleep" where. And we all must remove our glasses. The curtains cannot be opened until HE says so. I'm waiting to be charged a toll.
"Sleeping" on Daddy's pillows.
Don't let the smile fool you. He's king of the king sized bed!
Matt has about a million home projects to complete before our little princess arrives so he's in the garage for at least a couple of hours every weekend. Because Luke is a total daddy's boy, Luke also "needs" to be in the garage for a couple of hours every weekend. Fortunately, Dad is very patient and often invites Luke to join him. It helps that Luke has his own tools/equipment and recently acquired his own work bench from his cousins.
In full gear.
Luke prefers up close up and personal. They were building a step stool for Luke's new room this day.
Hard at work. Matt putting together shelves for the closet system in Luke's new room. Luke... hammering something?
We went to Fresno for Thanksgiving this year and had a nice time as always. We relaxed, ate a delicious meal and played indoor baseball with Luke- constantly. Our little man LOVES baseball and I think each one of us indulged his passion throughout the few days we were there.
Uncle Dave catching, Cousin Maggie batting and Luke pitching.
A Luke/Daddy collaboration with Cousin Kaylene getting in on the action.
Luke, Uncle Dave and Cousin Maggie.
Mommy doing what she does best and already putting Baby Sister to work.
Luke's therapy was canceled the other morning so we ran errands and hit up a local park. Luke loves nothing more then steering wheels and slides. So we did a whole lot of steering and sliding.
November 16th marked my 30-ish birthday and Luke and Matt went all out. I had a pretty regular Tuesday (such is the life of a mom!) but managed to squeeze in a prenatal massage (ahhh....) and a nap. That night we went out to dinner and then I was spoiled by gifts and a very tasty cake decorated by OUR cake boss aka Matt/Dad. Luke was more then happy to assist me in all ways possible with my birthday treats.
25 weeks pregnant. Had to get a picture with both of my babies. Luke had to be a turkey and make funny faces and refuse to stand up straight.
Luke doing his "funny laugh." It's quite a random explosion of intense guffawing and animated faces. He finds it funnier then anyone else.
My beautiful birthday cake!
You still get your wish even if someone else blows out your candles first, right?
Luke is walking. A LOT. And we LOVE IT. However, balance is an issue (as with any new walker) and we've complicated matters by having hardwood floors at home. So in a one week time span Luke managed to 1) fall backwards and completely whack the back of his head on the hardwood 2) split his chin open while walking down the hall and 3) do a header (though on the carpet) and bonk the top of his forehead on the side of the coffee table. He's doing better day by day but Matt and I are starting to sport more and more gray hairs in addition to the mini-heart attacks we experience at least once daily.
I contemplated posting a picture of the actual split in his chin (HAD to get a shot of that!) but it's kind of gross and I rather keep this blog PG. So here's the aftermath. He wore the butterfly band aid with the "Cars" one over it (to keep the blood contained- eww) for a good week after the fall. Luke also informed all he came into contact with that he "spit" his chin.
Almost got a smile. Very few tears were shed. Serious Tough Guy.
While Luke was in Fresno with Papa and Grandma Chrissy Halloween weekend, Matt and I were in New Orleans with some family and friends to celebrate the wedding of Chris (my brother) and Gina. It was an interesting time and a very nice wedding.
Chris and Matt enjoying a quiet date night at Jockamos (not really- we were all there- but they're sweet on each other like that.)
Jockamos famed carpet bagger steak.
Stephanie, Kevin and I wandering around the French Quarter.
Matt and I in front of the beautiful Saint Louis Cathedral.
I made Matt, Steph and Kevin pose in front of this decked out house. NOLA loves Halloween almost as much as Mardi Gras.
John and Mom waiting for the wedding ceremony to begin.
The groom.
Exchanging vows.
Mom and I.
Mom, Peggy and Marcia.
I snagged myself a handsome groomsmen.
The groom was pretty handsome too.
Matt. Doing a handstand. On the dance floor.
I wish I would have taken more pictures but between dealing with a nasty cold that started the first night we arrived and having horrible raging hormones, I was a huge stick in the mud. Unfortunately, NOLA Halloween weekend and sick, pissy pregnant lady don't mesh well. The wedding was beautiful though and everyone had a great time. The food was amazing (as expected) and the weather was surprisingly good. All and all is was a good break away from daily life and an interesting way to spend the Halloween weekend.
This Halloween was very different then the years past- Luke flew solo in Fresno with Matt's family while Matt and I were in New Orleans for my brother, Chris's, wedding. Luke had a great time with his grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins and, even though it broke our hearts to not be there with him, didn't seem to mind our absence.
Of course the year we dress him up as a Dodgers player (per his request) the Giants go and win the World Series... Grrr... But regardless, the costume was adorable and Matt did an amazing job adding all of the lettering and the numbers on the front and back. Daddy is incredibly handy around the house AND crafty!
With Papa wearing his patch at the pumpkin patch.
Luke and Cousin Maggie
Cousin Kaylene is serious about her pumpkin carving.
The finished product- Luke and Maggie.
Pre-Trick-or-Treating
Action shot. Kaylene held Luke's hand (he's still a little unsteady by himself) up to the doors.
"Trick-or-Treating!" (Luke adds the "-ing")
Dress Rehearsal at home. The Dodgers will be back in it next year, buddy!
It's good to be back! So much has been going on with our little family the past 7 months! I'm sad that I fell behind in the blog but I'm back and re energized with a still very busy family but a renewed desire to share all the good stuff that's been going on with the FOUR of us!
First off- Luke is WALKING all by himself!! It's been a very slow process but about a month ago he surprised us all by taking quite a few steps on his own at therapy. This last week he's really ventured out on his own (mainly around the house and in open spaces at stores). His vision is still a major obstacle and his balance a little wobbly but he's doing great. Here's a video Matt took of him at the DC Shoe outlet in Pismo Beach (he was trying out his new shoes) this past Saturday (October 16th). It's from Matt's cell so excuse the poor quality. Also be sure to listen to it- Luke is quick to respond to us!
The advances this guy has made in the past few months is amazing. Along with the walking he's talking more and more, coming up with his own thoughts, ideas and stories. He's learned how to open our doors at home (including the sliding glass one! He loves to let the dogs outside!) and he's working on taking his clothes off by himself. These are all difficult tasks with only one good three-year-old sized hand! And potty training- we're working on it! On top of all of that Luke is now in a big boy bed in his "new" room (the old guest room) and loves it- he can't get in or out by himself but he's very comfortable and has been sleeping great since the very first night.
And preschool is a HIT! Luke's going 3 days a week for 3 hours each day all by himself! I drop him off in his classroom at 8:15am, beg him for a kiss (he always playfully refuses), he usually disappears into the classroom before I leave and then I pick him up, all smiles, at 11:15am. His teacher is fabulous, he loves the aids and the kids (mainly "typical" kiddos but a few special ed kids are in the program with him) are great. He's becoming more comfortable around his peers and the teachers and specialists are working on his vision and whatever other areas he needs help (mobility and vision mainly but also potty training). We are so lucky to have this great program in our area.
Here's Luke's preschool picture taken in September. I LOVE the cheesy smile!
C.L. Smith Elementary- Preschool 2010-2011
Luke has been keeping us so busy and we love it. He's just the best guy- good natured, hilarious, loving. We couldn't be more proud. Even his 3 year old antics are manageable! Don't get me wrong- he can be a stinker. He's incredibly opinionated and bossy but he's rarely ever mean or aggressive about it. You can usually talk rationally to him and persuade him to do what you want, or don't want, him to do. He's very open to discussion (and negotiation!) and sometimes seems mature beyond his years. He's very quick so I'm sure we're going to have our work cut out for us when 3 turns into 13!
There's no doubt that Luke will be an amazing big brother come February! We found out the good news in June and so far everything has been great with my pregnancy. The craziest thing is that at our 13 week ultrasound I BEGGED the doctor to tell us what he thought the sex of the baby was and he did- but VERY VERY tentatively. He said "boy" but we ran with it! I was just convinced that I was meant to be the mommy to only males! I picked out the nursery bedding and had the whole room mentally redecorated for our new little guy. Thank God we didn't purchase anything! We even kept telling Luke that he was going to have a little brother! So imagine our surprise this past Monday when at our 21 week ultrasound the doctor said "You're definitely having a little GIRL!" Shocked beyond belief!
The ultrasound showed HER to be healthy and that's what is truly important. Luke was healthy up until the day he was born (and at that point was very unhealthy) so it's little comfort from that perspective but a healthy baby NOW is best case scenario NOW. The doctors will monitor me closely and I have another ultrasound scheduled for right after Christmas. Consensus among medical professionals is that what happened to Luke was probably a fluke but it's still nerve-racking since they aren't sure so we can only hope and pray at this point.
And in the spirit of fairness (a tough lesson Luke will have to learn!) here's a picture of our little princess from Tuesday's appointment. She's about 12 oz. right now and camera shy so no great face picture. This is the best one- her head is on the left and that's her arm karate-chopping her poor mom's tummy.
Our daughter! Due 3/1/11 but coming via c-section in February 2011!
Again, I'm so happy to be back and know that at the very least, the grandparents are happy we're back too! We've come so far since I started this little project back in February 2008 and I'm excited to see where the next few years take us!
The Henard Family (Central Coast Chapter) currently consists of Matt (dad), Beth (mom), Luke (son) and Lola and Rocco (dogs). Matt and I have lived in San Luis Obispo since the mid-nineties with the dogs joining us shortly after our September 2002 wedding and Luke in March 2007. We're expecting baby #2 in late February 2011. Luke's birth in 2007 as was almost as traumatic as it was glorious. Arriving 8 weeks early, he inexplicably suffered a bleed in his brain while I was pregnant (necessitating the early delivery) which forever changed his life. He suffers from cerebral palsy and very poor vision (what he can and can't see remains a mystery) in addition to needing a shunt in his brain to manage his hydrocephalus (Google it.) But what started out as unimaginable obstacles for our little fighter have become mere bumps in the road- Luke has definitely exceeded any and all expectations! Today Luke is a happy, healthy preschooler with a passion for baseball, large vehicles and talking family/friends/strangers' ears off! He's EXACTLY the good natured little guy he was always meant to be! This blog started out as "The Life of Luke" BUT it's not just Luke's life anymore (not that he's really aware of this... yet!) Since a little sister is on the way, we want to share the fabulous (and sometimes not-so-fabulous) moments of both the kids! I'll work hard to keep this updated (I'm thinking more pictures/videos, less text then before) but bear with me if there's a lull- I'm a busy mom and Luke LOVES to type and "send emails" making computer time often a struggle. However, I know our far away family and friends enjoy the updates so... Enjoy!
Very cute. Who could say no?
Who can resist this sweet little face? 8 years old and Lola still looks and acts like my feisty puppy.
Rocco on the floor in front of Luke's bed. Probably trying to figure out where the nearest bridge is so he can throw himself off of it (Rocco is VERY needy and cannot be left out). He's just a cuddly teddy bear of a dog.
I was informed that I had to take a picture of "just my face."
The finished product- Luke and Maggie.
Action shot. Kaylene held Luke's hand (he's still a little unsteady by himself) up to the doors.
Dress Rehearsal at home. The Dodgers will be back in it next year, buddy! 
