Lukey's First Kiss...

 

...in Mommy and Me class.  I don't know if it was Lucas' adorable red PJs or just the fact that he is so yummy, but in the middle of class little Sofia went right up to him to give him a smooch.  Click here to see kiss caught on video.  (January 2011 - 7 mths old).  As you can see in the video, Lucas happily returned the kiss.  A couple of weeks later, Lucas received his second kiss from little Astou that is 14 mths old.

Baby's First Christmas...

 

...in South Salem with Gramma and Grandpa.  (December 2010 - 6 mths.)  Lucas wore a little tuxedo and was the hit of the party - as he had been for Joana and Patricio's wedding when he made his debut in this adorable outfit.  Lucas started eating solids with baby cereal mixed with formula, mashed bananas and apple sauce.  He also started sleeping through the night as Andres and I did five nights of "cry it out" after our sleepless nights during Thanksgiving.  The first night Lucas cried for close to an hour and a half and the second night was similar.  It was torture, but a necessary evil. By the third night, Lucas fell asleep after half an hour of crying and  the fourth and fifth night, he only cried for ten minutes.  During our stay in New York, we had to put Vaseline on Lukey's cheeks since they turned rosy red like Santa's cheeks from the dry air.  We drove to Jurzee again so that Lukey could see his cousin again and his Gramma Marta.  Andres returned to Florida after Christmas and Lucas and I extended our stay through New Years to be able to celebrate the arrival of 2011 with Gramma.  Lucas sat up for the first time under the supervision of Gramma, Auntie Gabriela and cousin Sofia and soon mastered it by the beginning of the new year.

Tree decorating play date...

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...to celebrate the holidays with Lucas's little friends.  Lucas made the cuuutest little Santa and we took pictures with all of the new families in front of our little tree.  Marie/Heath/Stephanie, Chiara/John/Sofia, Nadine/Sandro/Astou, and Jeannette/Troy/Lucas/Nathan came over.  I had everyone bring a little wrapped gift for a Secret Santa and it ended up being  a lot of fun!

Baby's First Thanksgiving...

...and Lucas meets his cousins Sofia and Kento for the first time!  (November 2010 - 5 mths old). Sofia was so incredible with Lucas and would hold him, play with him and feed him bottles.   Lukey is dressed in the Christmas outfits that Auntie Gabriela got for him and bathed together with Sofia in a little tub - very cute! 

Andres and I drove to Juan Carlos and Mika's new house in New Jersey so that Lucas could meet his cousin Kento for the first time.  Kento is only a month and a half older than Lucas.  It was very cute to see them interact.  Roberto was visiting also.

We also made a road trip to Marlborough, CT so that Lucas could meet his great Gramma and Grandpa.  We gave Lucas a bottle with formula for the first time on the way to Marlborough so that I wouldn't have to stop to breast feed him.  Also, many of my family members were breathing down my neck that Lucas was hungry and I finally caved in, as I had been exclusively breast feeding until then.  By the time we arrived at Gramma and Grandpa's, poor little Lucas had broken out in hives around his mouth, ears and belly.  We had to give him anti-allergenic formula for a couple of months before we were comfortable enough switching back to the regular brand.  We avoided soy formula as that it is supposedly not good for little boy babies to have too much soy.

Christmas Tree lighting at Merrick Park...

...with Daddy, Astou, Nadine, Sandro and Paul!  (November 2010 - 5 mths old).  Lucas sat on Santa's lap for the first time at the beautiful tree lighting at Merrick Park in Coral Gables.  There were stilt walkers, pictures with Santa, music, etc.  We had the perfect table right next to the tree and Lucas was all smiles, as usual.

ABC foam mat...

...replaces Lucas's gym so that he can have plenty of space to roll around and practice sitting up.  (November 2010 5 months old).  It is becoming more and more apparent that Lucas is taking over the joint!  Although Lucas is not really mobile yet, this will serve him well in the future and to have his friends over for play dates!

Fairchild Gardens with friend Oskar and Sofia...

...napping in front of the lily pads!   This was my first time at the Fairchild Tropical Garden (November 2010 - 5 mths old) and all babies and mommies had a great time.  We put out a blanket so that the babies could play together.  I recorded Lucas saying "Mama, mama, mama" for the first time as Chiara (Sofia's mom), Amy (Oskar's mom) and I repeated the word over and OVER again.  Click here to see video.