Little VanDeGrift

A few more recent photos

2011-08-30T20:45:00.000-07:00

A happy Joel (seven months)

Luke playing with some construction toys

At the UP - WA St. soccer game

Joel getting his second hair cut

Mid-July

2011-07-15T11:06:00.001-07:00

Wow, the summer is already halfway over. We have been busy during the past month. Grandpa VanDeGrift came out in mid-June to visit and see Joel's baptism. The following week was Tammy's birthday, so we enjoyed the celebrations. Uncle Doug and his girlfriend came from Chicago to visit us for the long fourth of July weekend, so we spent a couple days at the beach with them. We spent last weekend at Grandma Eileen's house, so Luke could "camp" in her backyard by sleeping in a tent.

Meara Kelley (Joel's sponsor) and Joel getting ready for the baptism

The baptism

Family who witnessed the baptism

Luke enjoys a popsicle in the bath

Luke went strawberry picking

Having fun with Uncle Doug

Playing in the sand with Diana

Walking on the beach with mom

Joel likes Uncle Doug, too

Good follow through, Luke

Hanging out with his friend, Anna

Playing in the tent

Swinging in the bungee at the Marion County Fair

Joel is "reading" the newspaper

Enjoying the frog hopper at Oaks Park

Joel is four months old

2011-06-01T16:57:00.001-07:00

Joel turned 4 months on May 20, and we celebrated the occasion with a weekend away at the beach. Luke enjoyed hunting for seashells on the beach; Joel liked the wind in his face.

Joel is growing well and his weight is actually on the growth chart (Luke did not make the chart until he was about a year old). Joel is 25.5 inches long and 13 lbs 3.5 ounces at four months, but he feels much heavier as I carry him around most of the day. Unlike Luke, Joel is a "contact" baby. Joel likes to be held or carried in the Baby Bjorn, so my back aches more than it did when I was pregnant. It's ok; I enjoy my cuddle time with Joel.

Luke with the mussels

Cool barn you built, Luke

Working on a sand castle

Daddy and Joel

The boys

Joel enjoys bath time

Easter fun

2011-04-26T12:16:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Easter celebration with my extended family. Joel slept most of the afternoon and Luke enjoyed collecting eggs and playing with his cousins.

Easter morning

Easter egg hunt at church

Dads and sons

Family egg hunt

Joel liked Aunt Anca

Luke, Maddie, and Mark

Almost three months

2011-04-14T10:50:00.001-07:00

Joel is almost three months old already. The time has certainly passed quickly for us. Joel has learned a few new tricks this past month. He can find and suck his right thumb now. He is also technically sleeping through the night (around 10 pm to 5 am for the past two weeks), so I am getting more continuous rest. However, the motherly instinct still wakes me up around 3 am to check on Joel when he starts grunting in his sleep. Joel likes to kick and look at toys now; it's so much fun to see him smile.

Here are a few more recent photos:

Luke playing with Joel

Playing airplanes with Uncle Wayne

Going for a walk

Smiles

Luke and Anna going down the slide

Joel's first Disneyland trip

2011-03-18T13:37:00.000-07:00

Our family just returned from a trip to Disneyland. We had a good time and are especially grateful that grandma Eileen could join us. Luke enjoyed the rides. His favorites were the monorail, the train, the goofy roller coaster and the bus ride to and from the Embassy Suites. Joel was a perfect baby on vacation. I want him to be on vacation all the time. He liked napping in the carrier in the warm sunshine.

Disneyland was busy, but we managed to see and do quite a bit: train, monorail, ladybugs, bumper cars, chew chew train, flik's fliers, rockets, carousel, ferris wheel, the bakery and tortilla factory, wilderness trail, autopia, innoventions, it's a small world, goofy roller coaster, Alice in wonderland, adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Minnie's house, Tiki room, and the Matterhorn. I also got to ride Thunder Mountain while Luke napped one day. I really liked the shows we saw: Aladdin musical, Crush the turtle, the fireworks, and the world of color.

On the plane

On the train

On the ladybug

On Flik's fliers

Happy Joel

On the ferris wheel

The rest of us

Tail of the monorail

On the train again

World of color show

Luke loved the kitchen in Minnie's house

The boys

Our family with Minnie

Having fun with Tigger

A visit from Grandpa and Oma

2011-03-05T14:30:00.000-08:00

Joel is now a little over six weeks old. We had a nice visit from Grandpa and Oma (Tom's parents) for a week. Luke sure had fun spending time with his grandparents (so did Joel...but mostly while asleep). We took a day trip to Silverton to visit Tammy's mom, spent a day at OMSI, and spent a day at the zoo.

Luke and Joel with the grandparents

Playing trains

Playing at OMSI

Oma and Joel

Three generations (at the bald eagle zoo exhibit)

Our family (Joel is hidden in the carrier)

Building a big Lincoln log cabin at the Children's Museum

Joel (six weeks old)

Five weeks

2011-02-25T17:17:00.000-08:00

Joel is now over a month old. He is beginning to stay awake more each day and seems interested in the world around him. Luke is also very interested in teaching Joel everything he knows.

Joel (5 weeks)

Joel (5 weeks)

Joel's little feet

Four weeks old

2011-02-17T12:40:00.000-08:00

Joel is already four weeks old. The time goes by so fast! I thought I would write about Luke in this post, since he is such a good big brother. Some of the ways Luke shows Joel that he loves him:

brings blankets for Joel in the morning to keep him warm
gives him kisses
tries to teach Joel how to play peek-a-boo
tries to teach Joel how to play hide-and-seek (Joel and mommy are a team and we try to find Luke)
helps give Joel a bath

Giving Joel a bath

All four cousins (Mark, Maddie, Luke and Joel)

Joel (4 weeks)

Joel (4 weeks)

Three weeks old

2011-02-10T15:45:00.000-08:00

Joel is three weeks old today. It sure has not felt like three weeks; the time has passed so quickly. Joel is doing really well. He now weighs over 8 pounds, so he gained a pound in the past week. He is a master eater now and gets all his meals from me (so no more pumping after each feeding). Joel is also learning how to sleep during the nighttime hours. He did well last night: ate at 10:30 pm, 2:30 am, and 5 am. I almost feel rested for the first time since he was born.

Joel (3 weeks old)

Fun with the boys

2011-02-08T14:56:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of Joel's "firsts":
1/29: first UP basketball game (against St. Mary's and UP actually beat them)
1/30: first time at church
1/31: first bath (after umbilical cord scab fell off)
2/5: first visit to OMSI (science center)

Our family

Fun at the sand pit at OMSI

Playing "store" at OMSI

First bath at home

Grandma and Joel

Joel and mom

Reading books

A second hospital stay

2011-02-04T15:27:00.001-08:00

Our first week with Joel was quite an adventure. We were discharged from St. Vincent hospital on Saturday afternoon, two days after giving birth to Joel. He had lost 10% of his birth weight (which is on the high end), but we had the same thing happen to Luke. We went for Joel's check-up on Monday afternoon. He had lost even more weight and also had jaundice. So, Joel was admitted to the hospital. I also stayed in a room at the hospital, so I could feed Joel every three hours. Fortunately, everything worked out fine for Joel. The phototherapy brought his jaundice score down, as expected. However, the jaundice zapped Joel's energy, so he had little energy to eat from me. He ate what he could from me, I pumped, and then the nurse fed him the pumped milk with a bottle. Joel was discharged on Wednesday afternoon, so he and I could "come home" again. On Thursday, Joel had lost an ounce of weight, so we increased the amount of pumped milk we gave him each feeding. Finally, by Friday he gained over two ounces, so were were quite relieved that we had found the amount of milk Joel needs to grow. We had his pediatrician appointment the following Tuesday and he had gained nine ounces in four days (making us extremely happy and relieved). Now that Joel is two weeks old, he gets most of the meals from me now. I still pump when it seems like he has not eaten enough, but it sure beats pumping after every feeding. He is definitely making up for the first week; Joel loves to eat and he is packing on the ounces.

More photos of Joel

2011-02-04T15:07:00.000-08:00

Here are more photos of Joel from the past two weeks. Enjoy.

Kisses for Joel

Our family of 4!

Getting to know Joel

Joel (4 days old)

Joel (12 days old)

Joel's Birth Story

2011-02-04T14:35:00.000-08:00

Joel is 15 days old today! I thought I would write about his birth story before I forget everything that happened on January 20.

I woke up January 20 feeling normal (well, as normal as a 39-week pregnant lady). Tom and I took Luke to preschool and I drove Tom downtown and dropped him off at work. At the time, I did not think labor would happen that day and since Tom works downtown, I could pick him up after work on the way to choir rehearsal. I came home and noticed that I had some bloody show that morning. I did not think too much of it, since that can happen days before labor. I ate some yogurt for a mid-morning snack and started feeling some short cramps around 10:45 AM. They did not really hurt, so I did not get too nervous about it being the real thing. The cramps started happening more frequently by 11 AM, so I called Tom at 11:15. I asked him to take the bus home and work from home in the afternoon, just in case. He got home around 12:15. By that time, the cramps were happening every 3 to 10 minutes and started lasting a bit longer each time. I said we better go the hospital, just in case. On the way to the hospital, I had three or four contractions and they put pressure on my belly, but they did not hurt that much. We parked in the garage at St. Vincent's and walked to labor and delivery. We checked in and they admitted me to triage (about 1 PM). The doctor came in and checked for dilation...I was already at 8 cm! It was a complete surprise to me, since the contractions had not yet been very painful. On the way to the hospital, I thought it was even odds that they would admit me or send me home. They rolled my bed into a delivery room and even called a nurse in who had the day off (apparently, Jan 20 was a busy delivery day). I tested positive for strep B, so the nurse got my IV in right away to get me penicillin. I answered a bunch of medical questions and signed papers between contractions.

While all this was happening, I had Tom call my mom and my aunt Sharon. Sharon generously drove to Silverton to get my mom, so she could be at our house and pick up Luke from daycare that afternoon.

My water broke on its own with a strong contraction (probably around 1:40 PM). After my water broke, I was still at 8 cm. The contractions following my water breaking were very intense. I felt like I needed to push, but had to wait until I got to 10 cm. All I remember is closing my eyes and rolling to my side to get through each contraction. They were much more intense than any contraction I had during labor with Luke. I'm not sure how many of these I had (probably 3 or 4 of these contractions) until I got to 10 cm. The doctor came back in and said I was at the point where I could start pushing. I started pushing during a contraction, rested, and then pushed with the next contraction until the baby was born. I suppose the pushing part lasted about ten minutes (at least that's what the medical report says). Our baby boy was born at 2:23 PM.

I honestly do not remember delivering the placenta, since I had a baby boy on my chest and felt so much love and relief. I pushed quite hard and tore, so the doctor had to do some stitching. This may have been the worst part of the delivery for me...enduring all the poking and stitching with no pain medicine. (Like my delivery with Luke, I had no epidural or pain meds.)

Our baby boy was healthy and alert at birth. He was a beautiful baby and had a head full of dark hair. We were so happy to finally meet him.

That's my birth story with Joel. We are thankful that labor went so well and so quickly with him and I am glad we got to the hospital when we did.

Welcome, Joel Mark VanDeGrift

2011-02-02T14:17:00.000-08:00

Our baby boy arrived at 2:23 pm on January 20, 2010. After about a day of getting to know him, we named him Joel Mark VanDeGrift. Joel seemed like an appropriate name ("God is willing") for our new addition. Deciding on his middle name was easy for us; we named him after Tammy's dad, Mark Williams. We can only hope that he becomes a kind and caring man like his Grandpa Mark.

Just born

First bath

Getting to know daddy

Getting to know mommy

37 weeks

2011-01-11T13:29:00.000-08:00

Here's photos of me at 37 weeks along with our baby boy.

Side view

Front view

Luke is 3!

2011-01-06T13:11:00.001-08:00

Wow, three years have passed quickly for our family. We now have an official "big boy" 3-year-old. Luke is growing up so fast. We had a nice birthday celebration for him on Dec 31. He has learned so much during the past year:

His vocabulary has exploded and he understands EVERYTHING that we say.
He uses the potty (so nice for us).
He enjoys most sports (basketball, soccer, and golf seem to be his favorites).
He has learned the art of negotiation.
He seems to have boundless energy.
He has a vivid imagination.
He knows how to capture our hearts (and push our buttons).
We love him so much!

Luke got a new airplane set from grandma

Luke and his friends

mmmm

cupcakes!

Presents!

Christmas 2010

2011-01-06T13:07:00.000-08:00

Our family enjoyed a wonderful Christmas. Luke was sick until Christmas day, so we had a quiet week at home before Christmas. Fortunately, he was better on Christmas, so we could celebrate with the extended family. We hope you all had a good Christmas and new year.

Our family

Cousins Luke and Mark

Opening presents

Mid-October

2010-10-22T09:54:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe it is mid-October already. The fall semester is certainly going fast (as well as this pregnancy). Our family just returned from a four-day vacation in San Diego. While we saw little sun (it was cloudy most of the time), we still enjoyed our time at the science museum, Seaworld, and the wild animal park. We also had the chance to take Grandma on vacation with us, so Luke really had a blast.

Having fun with Grandma

Elmo has me!

Seaworld rides

At the wild animal park

On the tram ride

Luke will have a....

2010-08-27T08:44:00.000-07:00

baby brother. I think Luke is excited about teaching his future brother everything he knows. We're excited to meet our new son in January.

Health note: the baby is growing well and looks healthy. He even gave us a thumbs up sign during the ultrasound, so I'm hoping that's a sign that he will be a happy baby. I'm feeling pretty good, too (aside from occasional heartburn due to the baby's position against my stomach). This baby also likes to kick really hard.

Luke's shirt

2010-07-12T15:05:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true. Luke will hopefully be the greatest big brother in 2011. We're expecting a baby in January, so this blog (babyvandegrift) is appropriately named once again. So far, the pregnancy has gone well (no sickness, but some tiredness for me) and the baby seems healthy so far (more ultrasounds this week).

Here are a few more photos of some of my summer fun with Luke:

At Anna's 3rd birthday party (Anna is Luke's best friend)

At the zoo with Luke's friend, Macy

On the zoo train

Riding the train at Oaks Amusement Park...Luke sure loves trains

Riding the car at Oaks Amusement Park

been a while

2010-07-12T10:47:00.000-07:00

I know, I know...it's been a while since I posted anything on Luke's blog. I guess life has kept us busy since January. Teaching and preparing my tenure portfolio kept me busy in the spring and into June. We had a very wet June in Oregon this year, so it feels like summer has just started. Our family just returned from a week of vacation at Eagle Crest where Tom, mom, and I golfed a few times and Luke enjoyed the spray park and kiddie pool. Here are a few recent photos:

Luke enjoyed the pool

...and the spray park

Out on a walk

On a bike ride

Watching the Redmond 4th of July parade

Mickey, Pooh, and Tigger

2010-01-10T21:54:00.000-08:00

Bounce, bounce, bounce -- just like Tigger, that's what Luke did during a week in southern California for his second birthday. We spent Jan 1 - 7 in sunshine and enjoyed every minute of our trip. Our most expensive attraction was a visit to the ER at the Children's Hospital. Luke had a stomach virus (as did Tammy the day before) and vomited shortly after our plane landed in Orange County. Luke was fine a few hours later, so we continued with our plans. We spent a day at the science museum, a morning at the beach, a morning at a playground, a few afternoons at the hotel pool, and three days at Disneyland and CA Adventure. We were fortunate to visit the theme parks when most lines were 5 - 15 minutes long. We saw quite a bit! Below is the list of the adventures we had at the parks.

Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Dumbo, It's a Small World, Goofy's House, Mickey's House, Chew Chew Train, Ladybugs, Hot air balloons, Disney playhouse (show), Pixar parade, Finding Nemo, Autopia, Rockets, Toy Story Mania, Bug's Life, Tiki Room, Jungle Cruise, Winnie the Pooh, Casey Jr. Train, Storybook Canalboats, Muppet 3D, Monsters Inc, Talk with Crush, animation museum, Carousel, tortilla factory tour, bakery tour, Pixar parade (again), Disney railroad, Mr. Lincoln's movie, Castle walk through tour

The science museum

Learning to play hockey

Mr. Toad's Wild Ride

Goofy's playhouse

With Mickey!

At Balboa Beach

Waiting for Bug's Life

On the rocketship

With Pooh!

Chew Chew Train

End of December 2009 (65 photos), by Tammy VanDeGrift

2009-12-31T13:39:00.001-08:00

I'd like to share my Snapfish photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.
Click here to view photos

Luke's 2nd Christmas

2009-12-26T20:53:00.000-08:00

Whew - the Christmas season sure seemed to sneak up on us this year. As usual, December was filled with lots of activities with friends and family. All of our events were so much fun; too bad December only comes once every twelve months. Some of our December highlights include:

Tom and Tammy sang in a mass choir Advent concert
A holiday party at Grandma Eileen's house
Attending a UP Christmas concert with Kristin and Steve
Spending an afternoon with Meara (one of Tammy's long-time friends who now lives in CA)
A holiday party with the church choir
Attending several UP basketball games (our team was looking so promising until we lost to Portland State...rats)
Making cookies at Kyle's house
Family get-together for Christmas Eve
Family get-together for Christmas day
Evening at the Grotto for the Festival of Lights (with Luke's best friend, Anna, and her parents)

Maddie and Luke at Grandma Eileen's

Anna and Luke at UP's Children's Christmas party

Anna and Luke getting ready for the Christmas pageant

Look at the adorable animals

Meara, Luke and Tammy

Having fun with Grandma Eileen

Ah, the tractor

Kiddos at Paul and Vickie's on Christmas Eve

Gift exchange!!

Our family (Luke never seemed to look at the camera at the right time)

The cousins

Maddie's doll

Opening gifts with the cousins

Christmas morning!!! Santa came.

Building the fire station with duplos

Lions and Turkeys

2009-12-26T15:28:00.001-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving weekend in Birmingham, Michigan with Tom's family. Enjoy a few photos from our trip:

Having fun

Uncle Doug and Luke

At the Lions-Packers game

Doug, Drew (cousin), Marcy (aunt), David (uncle), Tom, and Luke

Having fun at the park

Tom, Doug, Tom, Luke, Nancy, and Tammy

October already

2009-10-14T21:27:00.000-07:00

As you can probably infer from my lack of posts, I have been busy this school year. I have no idea how half the semester passed by so quickly! Our family has enjoyed the fall season. Some of the recent activities include:

Birth of Luke's second cousin, Amaya
Mark's (our nephew) 4th birthday
Oktoberfest in Mt. Angel
Several UP soccer games
(oh, and Tammy took a very quick trip to MN last weekend)

Luke loves to swing

Tammy and Amaya (born 9/9/09 to Matt and Renee - my cousins)

mmm...what are you eating, Luke? Wayne always feeds you well.

Jim, Tammy, Maddie, Luke, and Mark

Dagny, Mark, and Caleigh (Dagny and Caleigh are my cousin's kids)

Riding the cars at Oaks Amusement Park

On the train at Oaks Park

Enjoying Silverton folks at the Oktoberfest

Luke enjoyed the blow-up play area at the Oktoberfest

Class of 99 Gustavus reunion

All good things come to an end...

2009-08-24T16:43:00.000-07:00

Summer is coming to a close now for me. School starts in one week! It has sure been fun watching my little guy grow up a little bit. During the past few weeks, we have had fun in the sun. We especially enjoyed a family vacation to Eagle Crest for our anniversary (mom joined us, so Tom and I got to golf one day...mom and I golfed together on a different day). We also had fun with our friends (Bridget, Matt, and Ben) at a Beavers game last week. Enjoy the photos:

Have you figured out gravity yet, Luke?

Luke loves water

Fun at OMSI

mmm...ice cream

A walk at Eagle Crest

The splash park

Cutie pie

Swim time

Enjoying mini golf

Mini golf

Having fun with Ben at the Beavers game

Luke's first karaoke

Kiddie Rides

2009-08-06T09:51:00.000-07:00

I took Luke to Oaks Park on Tuesday to enjoy the pre-school kiddie ride time. He was a real trooper and enjoyed every minute we were there (and fell asleep less than 30 seconds after I started the car for our drive home). He rode the kiddie cars and motorcycles by himself (rode the cars about 6 times!!). The two of us rode the train, the rocking ship, the giant slide (several times), Lewis and Clark Adventure, the hot air balloons, the carousel, and the tilt-a-whirl. What a fun morning!!

Luke also saw baby Mary last night when we had Steve, Lacy, and Mary over for dinner. Luke took some interest in the baby, but was most interested in playing with the bouncy seat.

On the train

Luke loved driving the car

On the motorcycle

Steve (with Mary) and Lacy (with Luke)

A Visit From Uncle Doug

2009-08-03T16:25:00.000-07:00

Tom's brother, Doug, came to visit us for a long weekend. We managed to keep ourselves busy with a Beavers game, a day at the beach, and a day at the family golf tournament. Everyone had a good time, including Luke.

Hanging out with Uncle Doug

Enjoying the game

Love the sand

The boys

Running on the beach

Riding the carousel

On the train with Doug

The boys

mmmm...ice cream

At the Beavers game with Anna (and her parents)

We're having a heat wave

2009-07-29T20:11:00.000-07:00

Yes - it's been hot in OR. I don't think it has ever been this hot since I have lived here. We are so lucky to have a house with a heat pump (which means we have A/C in the summertime). We enjoyed the heat on Sunday at the pool in Silverton. Luke always enjoys the water, so he had a good time getting wet, but he was unusually unsettled while we were in the pool. He kept wanting to walk out of the water (there's a ramp into the kiddie part of the pool). My mom was sitting in a lounge chair on the pool deck and he kept looking over there. We finally figured out what he wanted when he walked out of the pool, grabbed grandma's hand, and walked her into the pool (and she was not wearing a swimsuit).

Luke has been trying to keep cool this week, too. He enjoys the sprinklers and his daycare went to the wading pool park downtown on Tuesday. I'll take him to the spray park at our local park tomorrow morning (it should be about 85 degrees by 9 AM!!). We also have a wonderful treat for Luke tomorrow...Uncle Doug is flying in to see us.

The kiddie pool

Family fun

At the park after the pool

More Fun in the Sun

2009-07-25T21:34:00.000-07:00

We had a busy week! We took the opportunity to enjoy the sun at the Beavers game last Sunday afternoon with some friends and their two daughters. On Thursday, Luke and I spent the morning with Kari/Anna and Judi/Macy. It was unusually cool in the morning, so we did not hit the splash park as intended (but the coffee shop and Judi's back deck was just as fun). We did tiny tots at the library yesterday morning. Today we went to a Hawaiian festival (thanks to Luke's teacher at daycare who told us about it). We went with our friends Jim/Kari/Anna, so it was fun to spend time with the dads for once, too. And we topped off a great day today with an impromptu dinner with our neighbors across the street (Zoe, their daughter, is about 3 weeks older than Luke).

At the baseball game

The Beavers game

A little kiddie pool time

Chasing balls

Swinging at the park with Anna

Macy, Luke, and Anna

Bubbles!!

At Tiny Tots Library Time

Watching the hula dancers

The hula dancers

Grandpa and Grandma Visit

2009-07-20T14:36:00.000-07:00

Tom and Nancy came to visit us in Portland for a few days. We picked berries at a local farm, spent a day at the Enchanted Forest (a kid amusement park), had dinner with Eileen, visited a state park, and had dinner with my brother's family. It was a fun time for everyone.

Picking berries with Anna and Kari

Picking blueberries (or, rather, eating blueberries)

At Sauvie Island Farm

At Enchanted Forest

Luke liked the "saloon" (a wobbly floor) at Enchanted Forest

Having fun on the train

Grandmas

The grandparents

Eileen, Tammy, and Luke

With Grandpa at Champoeg State Park

The cousins

TX - Luke's second wedding

2009-07-14T08:41:00.000-07:00

From MN we flew to Houston to attend Beth's wedding (Tom's cousin). During our short stay in Houston, we managed to get to about 7 innings of the Astros game at Minute Maid park. It is a gorgeous stadium and all the seats are close to the field (lots of vertical decks instead of a bowl of seats). So, that makes *four* major league parks for Luke :). (Safeco Field, Mariners; Petco Park, Padres; Metrodome, Twins; Minute Maid Park, Astros)

It was fun for us to see Tom's extended family (including Uncle Doug, Grandma, and Grandpa). Luke was a trooper and managed to behave during the wedding and at the reception. We just had one loud outburst during the ring exchange :).

We wish Beth and Jared many years of happiness together! You both looked fantastic and so happy to be getting married.

Having fun with Uncle Doug

Enjoying the game

Minute Maid Park

Doug, Eric, Tom, and Luke

Ellen, Beth, and Eric

The VanDeGrift Family

Luke likes mommy's necklace

The happy couple

MN

2009-07-13T16:17:00.000-07:00

We took a family vacation to Minnesota last week to visit college friends. Highlights of the visit include:

A gathering with our Gustie friends
Visiting the campus, seeing friends and faculty
Spending a day with Steph and Adelaide
Spending time with Karen, our gracious host
Dinner with Keri and Dean
A visit to the zoo
A visit to the science museum
Seeing Murphy's Landing (a park with historic homes)
A Twins-Yankees game

It was tons of fun and we hope to visit again soon! It's amazing that 10 years since graduation for me passed so quickly.

Gusties: Juliet, Steph B., Karen, Keri, Jill
Steph W., Tom, Tammy, Steph D.

Adelaide and Luke

With Gustavus faculty

With Gustavus faculty

The Graves Family, Davis Family, and Tom/Luke

The academic quad

Luke and Karl

Back at school

Luke likes tinker toys (dad likes them, too)

Twins-Yankees game

Luke and Karen

More June Photos

2009-07-13T12:24:00.000-07:00

Luke and Kyle having a ball

Luke enjoyed Desi's car

Luke and Anna "sharing" the bubbles

A tractor!

Hanging out at Paul and Vickie's

We went to the Disney train

At the waterpark with Anna

End of June Already

2009-06-26T16:16:00.000-07:00

It seems like the month of June just started and now July is around the corner. This seems to happen to me every summer (it goes by way too fast!!). We had some big celebrations in June:

1. My mom's 65th birthday (a fun party with family and friends at a Hawaiian restaurant)
2. Tom's second fathers day (party at Paul and Vickie's barn)
3. My birthday (a nice dinner out for Tom and I last night)

Luke has been enjoying the summertime and I have had fun spending more time with him and watching him learn new things. He is starting to say more words, but still says "ba" or "buh" for most objects. His limited vocabulary now includes "mama", "dada", "car", "ball", "bath", "more", "dog", "no", and "uh oh". Luke and I have enjoyed outings to parks, coffee shops (mostly with my friends and their kids), the library, and OMSI.

Luke and Maddie are playing wii

Jameson Park with Anna and Kari

OMSI fun

At the park with neighbors

Zora and Luke with Tahreq

Having fun at Grandma's party

Eileen's 65th Birthday

it finally happened...

2009-06-11T20:55:00.000-07:00

Well, (don't read this if you bodily excretions gross you out). I was commenting today during Luke's bath that we have been lucky that he has not gone #2 in the bath water yet. Oh, about two minutes after I said that, Luke had the "poop" face and gave us a present in the bath water. Eeewww... I calmly cleaned up the mess and soaked everything in the bath in clorox. I guess there's always a first time for everything.... ha ha.

Luke continues to amaze me with regard to how observant he is. Tom had a paper towel out for something, Luke found it and started cleaning his mouth. He hopped down from daddy's lap and walked around the house. I peeked on him... He went to the kitchen and put the paper towel in the cabinet with the trash can. Gosh, he's getting smart :). Tom and I need to be on our best behavior.

17 months

2009-05-31T16:29:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's how old Luke is today. It is also Maddie's (Luke's cousin) first birthday today, so we wish her a big happy birthday number one. Given that the past two weeks have been full of sun and heat, I expect to have a warm summer in Oregon. Luke loves to be outside, so we have enjoyed a few trips to the zoo and many outings to parks. With the heat, I am ready for fountains and splash parks.

The summer social scene is upon us. Memorial day weekend was a busy one ... three potluck/BBQs (including one we hosted). The past few weeks have also been filled with seeing grandma Eileen on the weekends (something Luke always loves) and a couple of birthday parties. I even had a chance to get away for a few days to San Diego and had a great time doing some research with colleagues there. (Luckily, Luke was a well-behaved little guy while daddy took care of him.) Enjoy the photos.

Silver Falls

That's a big faucet, isn't it Luke?

Enjoying the ball tent

Maddie and Luke

At the zoo with Maddie and Mark

Swinging with Anna

Look who's the big boy

Cruising our friends' deck

At our neighbor's birthday party

Spring has Sprung

2009-05-14T21:41:00.000-07:00

Spring has sprung and Luke definitely has more spring in his step now... he wants to go faster than his coordination allows. He regularly takes spills, but has not wounded himself too badly yet. He took his largest spill last weekend at grandma's house while running down her driveway with licorice in both hands. Luke crashed on his knees and face since he would not give up his licorice to brace his fall. What a funny guy... I guess he has his priorities.

To those of you in blogland who actually read this: Thanks for staying tuned and for your patience while waiting for a new post. For some reason, the past month kept us busy every minute. (Plus, Tammy learned to play bridge with some of her colleagues, so she spends her free time playing bridge and reading bridge columns.) The academic year has ended; now I have more time to write and organize the many photos we take of Luke.

Luke loves to be outside, so we are thrilled that the weather is starting to feel like summer. He is a cute little fellow. When he wants to go outside, he gets his coat and stands at the door, waiting for one of us to take him outside. He loves to go to the park and fly down the slides.

Highlights since mid-March:

Tom and Tammy attended the NCAA men's basketball tournament in Portland (round 1). It was great fun to see Gonzaga and UW in person.
Luke played with Tammy's friend's children at various gatherings
Easter at Grandma Eileen's
Spending time with Luke's cousins (playing wii)
Seeing the Pilots women's soccer team play the national U-23 team
Watching the elephants and the zoo
Playing at OMSI (and seeing a fantastic Da Vinci exhibit)
Visiting Grandma for Mother's Day weekend
Attending the Beavers baseball game for mother's day

Just hanging out

Whee - the swing

Sophia (19 months), Neil (2.5 years), and Luke (16 months)

Luke loves grandma's little bridge

Hanging out with Grandma

Easter!

Two babies!

Get those eggs, Luke

Luke and Maddie

At the soccer game

Watching the elephants

On the zoo train

Having fun with Maddie

The slide

Luke's new favorite toy -- mommy's sunglasses

Spring Training

2009-04-05T17:41:00.000-07:00

Wow, the month of March is over already! Tom, Luke, and I decided to go to spring training in Arizona during my spring break this year and we had a wonderful time watching baseball, doing some sightseeing in Sedona, and enjoying the sunshine. It felt great for all of us to spend some time outside in the high-70s, low-80s weather.

We watched 3 games and one Mariners practice (where Luke got 3 autographs on his baseball). The Mariners were beat by the Cubs and Rangers. We also went to the Dodgers stadium and watched them beat the Rangers. Fortunately, Luke's nap time was during most of the games, so Tom and I could actually watch a few innings. What's nice about spring training is the stadiums have grassy areas in the outfield, so we could park the stroller and sit on a blanket. It gave Luke the freedom to wander around and be entertained by the other families in the outfield. We did splurge and buy seats in the fourth row behind home plate for the Mariners/Cubs game, since we never get the opportunity to be that close at a regular season game.

A week after we returned, Tom and I got to see the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament in Portland. Thursday was a long day of basketball (over 10 hours), but we did get to see UW and Gonzaga win their games. The next day Luke fell down into a kid's chair and busted his lip open...so, we had our first visit to the ER with him. He made it through the injury ok -- no need for stitches, but he'll probably have a scar for a while.

Luke enjoys his first John Deere

Ken Griffey, Jr

At Mariners spring training

Our family

Luke and Daddy

Luke really enjoyed pool time

Scenic Sedona

Having fun on a hike

The Dodgers stadium

February Fun - Lots of Sports

2009-02-28T09:02:00.000-08:00

Wow - the month of February went by so fast! Instead of writing a new entry for each event, I'll just summarize the entire month here.

I had a get-together with my girlfriends in Silverton at the end of January... a few of the kiddos attended and enjoyed playing together.

Silverton Girlfriends - Oh What Fun!

Luke and Sophia

Luke and Mommy

Luke, are you going to be a carpenter like your grandpa?

Just having fun...

We hosted a Superbowl party for some friends and neighbors and had 7 kids here! We managed to keep the kids entertained for most of the game. At least the game was entertaining to the end.

Luke, Jake, and Kyle

Jim and Mark

My brother's family and our family went to a Trailblazers game in mid-February. Again, the game proved to be exciting with Brandon Roy making a last-minute lay-up to beat the Knicks. Luke enjoyed having his own seat and often smiled at the fans behind us.

At the Blazers game

Having fun!

For Valentine's weekend, Tom, Luke, my mom, and I went to Agate Beach (north of Newport) for a few days. We are fortunate to have an aunt and uncle with a condo there for family to use. We had gorgeous weather, even saw some friends who were also vacationing at the beach, and enjoyed walking on the beach. Luke really loved the open space of the beach and even learned to walk on his own!! Now our days are filled by running after our little guy.

Our shadows

Luke is so happy!

At the marine science center

Look who's walking...

A visit with Ty and Joan

We have attended every UP men's basketball game this season and had much to cheer about! Up through two days ago, the Pilots were second in the WCC, but the loss on Thursday put is tied for second in the conference. It is fortunate that Luke enjoys watching the guys run up and down the court.

A Visit From Grandma and Grandpa

2009-01-10T15:32:00.000-08:00

Grandpa and Grandma VanDeGrift came to visit Luke to celebrate his first birthday. While they were here, we had Luke's party with family and friends (see earlier post). We also celebrated new year's day at Wayne and Sharon's house, took a trip to OMSI with Luke's Godparents, and went to at UP basketball game. Tom and I also had a chance to take an afternoon date to the musical "The Color Purple" while grandma and grandpa babysat for us. Here are a few pictures from their visit with us.

Playing games on new year's day

Luke and Maddie

The VanDeGrift men

Grandpa, Luke, and Grandma

Fun at OMSI

With grandpa and grandma

The whole family

Luke's first birthday

2009-01-04T20:23:00.000-08:00

Wow, a year has passed so quickly for our family. We had no idea how much love we could have for such a little person. Luke celebrated his first birthday on December 31 with several relatives and friends. Tom's parents even came from Michigan to visit Luke for his birthday. Luke was an almost perfect host for the party ... having a ball with everyone who came and staying awake for most of the party (started at 4 PM, the last guests left around 10 PM). Not a surprise to us, Luke enjoyed his birthday cupcake very much.

While we reflect on a wonderful first year as parents, I am reminded of several things that I love about Luke (bacon bits)...

10. His shimmy shake after he goes #2
9. His determination to accomplish tasks
8. His bath time squeals
7. His love for learning
6. His babbling (dadadada, mamamama, babababa)
5. His clapping (he loves to clap and starts clapping if you say "good job" to him)
4. His hair (it usually points everywhere)
3. His love for people
2. His belly laugh
1. His tooth-filled smile

I also celebrated a year of nursing Luke - we both made it for the full year without needing to supplement. Now, our challenge is to get Luke to like cow's milk. Enjoy a few pictures from his first birthday party.

Having cupcakes and ice cream

Eating the birthday cupcake

Opening presents

Luke's new tunnel

Mark, Anna, and Luke

Playing a game

A White Christmas

2009-01-04T18:06:00.000-08:00

Well, the "snow lay on the ground and the stars shone bright" through Christmas in Portland. Consequently, Luke experienced his first white Christmas on his first Christmas! Our Christmas celebrations got rearranged a bit due to the road conditions. We had originally planned to be at my uncle Paul and aunt Vickie's house/barn for Christmas Eve, but the roads were still a bit scary, so our family postponed the celebration until Saturday, the 27th. We had an impromptu Christmas Eve dinner with our neighbors (Jen, Phil, and Kyle). I was impressed that Luke did not play with their Christmas tree ornaments, but he did try to open Phil's Christmas presents.

We celebrated Christmas day with my brother's family, which was a lot of fun for all of us. We ate well and opened gifts with the kiddies. Mark was very excited about Christmas. Luke and Madeline had no idea what was happening. In fact, Luke was most interested in wrapping paper and shiny bows. We had an exciting drive to my brother's house ... we got stuck outside their house and we got stuck a block from our house on the way home. The main streets and freeways were clear by Christmas day, but the residential streets had not been plowed, so they had icy grooves.

On the 27th, we had a wonderful family gathering at my uncle and aunt's party barn. Because the party was postponed, my cousin Andrew, his wife Melody, and Melody's mom June could join us; it was so much fun to visit with Andrew and Melody again. Luke was well-behaved the entire afternoon, even sleeping at the right time so I could coordinate games and the white elephant gift exchange. Oh what fun it was to be with my family for a fantastic Christmas celebration. We'll see if they ever let me be the entertainment coordinator again... they call me "cruise director Tammy". (I suppose my college students might say the same thing :)).

Christmas Eve at Kyle's House

Luke likes Mark's remote-controlled airplane

The cousins - Luke, Maddie, and Mark

Luke helped Grandma open gifts

Anca and Maddie

George and Maddie

Where are your clothes, Luke?

Family Picture

George, Maddie, and Luke

Luke likes the tractor

Christmas Portrait

The extended family

Brrr. it's cold

2009-01-04T17:30:00.000-08:00

When we had about a foot of snow on the ground, we took Luke outside and plopped him down on the cold stuff. He definitely does not enjoy the feeling of snow ...

Our street

Tammy and Luke in the back yard

In the snow

Brrr...it's cold

Winter Wonderland

2008-12-23T15:15:00.001-08:00

For those you keeping track of the news from afar, we are having a winter wonderland in Oregon this Christmas. I guess too many people dreamed of a white Christmas and they got their wish. I know for those Minnesotans out there, you are probably chuckling... how can a little snow shut down a city? Well, it has shut down Portland since Saturday. You see, we have very few plows and most of the roads are on hills here. So, the roads around us are full of about a foot of compacted snow.

I would post pictures of Luke in the snow, but he *hates* the cold. If he seems more agreeable about the snow, I will try to take a few photos. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve already ... my guess is that our church services will be canceled (as they were on Sunday). Merry Christmas to all our friends and family!

Quick San Diego Trip

2008-12-19T11:07:00.000-08:00

Our family took a quick trip to San Diego last weekend (all planned two days before we left). No, it was not an emergency of any kind. Tom had to meet with some colleagues at Qualcomm in San Diego, and since the price of a plane ticket for me was $300, we all went to San Diego. Everywhere in the country experienced winter weather last weekend, and San Diego was not spared. Fortunately, the sun was out Sunday and Tuesday of our trip and it just sprinkled on Saturday and poured on Tuesday. Even with "bad" San Diego weather, we still enjoyed some time in the cool air and in the sunshine. We spent Saturday in Old Town, shopping and looking at a few museums. On Sunday, we went to Seaworld and enjoyed the park with few attendees. Tom worked Monday and Tuesday, so Luke and I hung out during the day together. We explored the science museum and natural history museum on Monday (Luke even napped, so I could watch an IMAX movie) and we had a great dinner with Tom's colleagues at Buca di beppo. I took Luke to the Wild Animal Park on Tuesday. Of all the animals at the park, Luke was most entertained by the ducks. Luke was an almost perfectly behaved young man on the entire vacation ... until the plane ride home. Fortunately, the gate agent gave us an entire row to ourselves at the back of the plane. Luke had no interest in napping, even though he was extremely tired. We landed in Portland to a winter wonderland. Enjoy some photos from our quick holiday getaway.

Looking at the old stagecoaches

The hotel suite had a big mirror!

Watching the dolphins

At the shark exhibit

Tammy even rode the splash roller coaster!

Watching the polar bears

A walrus

Shamu

What balance!!

Our family - Merry Christmas to you!

The flamingos

What do you see, Luke?

Luke found a computer at the science museum

The xylophones

Luke with one of Tom's co-workers

At the Wild Animal Park

A baby rhino and his mom - Wild Animal Park

The lion cub den

In the bird aviary

Near the ducks and cranes

At the animal show

Wheee... on the carousel

Luke's "first" first birthday party

2008-12-19T10:43:00.000-08:00

Some of you know about the "baby" group that I joined after becoming a mom. We have named ourselves the "puddle jumpers" and have about 25 babies in the group! I enjoyed all the time I spent with the baby group while on maternity leave. Now that I am back to work, I do not get to see the other babies and parents very often, so it was great seeing everyone again. The babies with November or December birthdays hosted a party at Gymboree (think of an indoor park) a few weeks ago. It was sure entertaining to watch 20 babies crawl or walk around during playtime.

Luke also had play time with two of his friends from baby group. We enjoyed a great dinner at Kyle's house one evening. I celebrated my first day off from school by meeting Anna and Linh at the science museum for lunch last Friday. I'm not sure if Luke enjoys seeing his friends, but we sure enjoy spending time with the other parents.

Getting ready for the play room!

A tunnel!!

Look at all the babies!

Parachute time!

Luke's first birthday cake

Playing at Kyle's house

Thanks, Kyle, for pushing me around

Mmmmm... spaghetti

Fun with my friend, Anna, and mommy's friend, Linh

OMSI fun

Giving thanks!

2008-12-18T10:28:00.000-08:00

A happy (late) Thanksgiving to everyone in blog-land. We certainly appreciate you being part of Luke's life - it really does take a village to raise a child. Our family stayed in Oregon for Thanksgiving this year (mostly to avoid a 5-hour plane ride to MI with a crawling baby - this turned out to be a wise decision, as we just had a 2-hour plane ride to and from San Diego). We did get to "see" Tom's family via videoconferencing over the holiday weekend and we spent Thanksgiving day at my aunt and uncle's house. Boy, we all had a wonderful time! A special treat was that Tom's grandparents joined us for Thanksgiving (Rollin and Paula moved to SW Washington in October), so Luke got to meet Rollin for the first time. My cousin, Matt, played the part of a comic, entertaining us all afternoon and evening. My tummy muscles got a workout from all the laughter.

We learned that Luke *loves* Sharon's pumpkin pie and Vickie's sweet potatoes. Luke ate an entire piece of pumpkin pie the day after Thanksgiving!

Paula and Luke

Playing cards with Uncle Wayne

Enjoying Aunt Vickie

Mmmmm.... pumpkin pie

Laughing with Aunt Sharon

November fun

2008-12-17T10:11:00.000-08:00

Whew - the end of 2008 is sure going by quickly for our family. As you can probably tell by our lack of posts, we have been keeping ourselves busy this fall. I was busy with school the last few weeks of the term and felt a huge relief when all those papers and final exams were graded last Friday.

Highlights from November include Maddie's (Luke's cousin) baptism, trying to get a good photo of Luke in his Santa suit (we tried for 2 hours and did not get any great shots), attending UP men's basketball games, and seeing friends and family. Enjoy these photos from late November:

Luke can really crawl fast now!

Our happy little guy

Maddie's baptism

Bath time!

Is Santa bringing us new electronics this year?

Do you want to learn to walk?

All smiles!

Playing with my neighbor, Kyle.

Go pilots!

Our little lion

2008-11-15T23:14:00.000-08:00

Watch Luke go...

Fall Firsts

2008-11-15T16:59:00.000-08:00

Luke is really having a great time experiencing his first Fall season. (On the other hand, Tom is not enjoying the fall football season quite as much...Michigan is having a terrible year.) The end of October kept us busy: Tom's birthday dinner, a church retreat at Cannon Beach with almost summer-like weather, and a costume party for two of Luke's friends from mommy group (see all the kids dressed up below). Luke had an excellent first Halloween, too - we took him trick-or-treating in the UP dorms. Luke was a bit confused by all the strange-looking people in costumes, but he sure lit up when he met the female students (especially blondes). Our little guy got a taste of a tootsie roll, too.

November has been a little more relaxed for us. We had our friends Kristin and Steve over for dinner a week ago and spent some time playing the wii. This past week, all of us got hit with bad colds. It took Luke several days to break his fever, but he is finally getting back to his normal self.

Tom, Tammy, and Maddie

Happy birthday, Tom! Sharon has Luke and Maddie

Luke, you have food all over your face

Do you like leaves, Luke?

At the beach retreat - all smiles

What an awesome sunset display

Luke - are you taking a break from the party action?

All the babies!! - mass chaos

Where are you going?

Love those keys

Go pilots!!

On the move

2008-10-17T13:38:00.000-07:00

Luke is now on the move and crawls quickly across the room. What are his favorite things? power cords, shoelaces, and laptops. Needless to say, Tom and I must monitor Luke at all times. Luke likes to pull himself up on anything (tables, chairs, couches) or anyone (mom's head, pulling on mom's hair).

We returned from a relaxing vacation at Eagle Crest Resort in Central Oregon on Wednesday. We all had a great time. My mom came with us, too, which meant that Tom and I got in two rounds of golf in gorgeous fall weather (sunny in the mid-60's). I took Luke swimming one day, mom and I did yoga, we visited Bend, Tom and I had massages, we used the hot tub a few times, and we all played miniature golf. In between all those activities, we rested and relaxed in a beautiful home. Enjoy these photos from our vacation.

At the High Desert Museum

Kiddie pool

Ready to get back into the pool

Enjoying the nice weather

Our family

Like Father, Like Son

2008-09-30T19:57:00.000-07:00

Today Luke hit the 9-month mark, so I thought I would update Luke's blog. Watching Luke learn new things and gain more motor control reminds me so much of Tom. It is exciting to see Luke develop, but I have to say there are more than a few similarities between him and his daddy. Luke acts 100% like his dad and looks almost 100% like me. Here are a few of the "like father, like son" moments:

They stick their tongues to the side of their mouths when they concentrate.
They sigh the same way.
They smile the same way.
They are easily amused by lights and sounds.
They make silly noises (clicking tongues, raspberries, etc.).
And most of all, I love them both very much.

The month of September went by quickly for our family. We kept ourselves busy by attending every Pilot soccer game this season (so far) and celebrated two birthdays (Sophia is now 1 year old and Mark is 3!). Luke is on the move now, too. He displayed his scooting/crawling motion to his uncle Doug while videoconferencing with him last week. Enjoy the pictures!

Like father, like son! (at the zoo)

Luke loves his car

All dressed up!

Luke loves cords

Happy 1st birthday, Sophia!

Luke and Ben

Ben likes Tom

Happy third birthday, Mark!

Luke with his only blonde-haired relatives (Carson & Dylan)

8 months

2008-09-08T22:20:00.000-07:00

Luke is 8 months old already! Can you believe it? He will be a toddler soon, and we are certainly not ready for him to be "on the move". In the past few weeks, we have enjoyed Pilots soccer games and spent time with our extended family. A real treat was seeing Vibha, a friend from grad school. She came to Oregon to attend a wedding and we spent the afternoon with her yesterday.

Luke was sick for the second time of his life last Friday and Saturday. He had a very high fever and the doctor diagnosed him with some sort of virus that creates blisters in the mouth, on the hands, and on the feet. It was a bit scary for us to see him so sick last Friday, but he recovered quickly and was back to his normal self by noon yesterday.

Our little guy is trying to figure out how to move. From a sitting position, he tips himself forward on his hands and gets into a crawling position. From there, he either lands on his belly or flips to his side. He also likes to pull himself up on anything to get to a standing position.

Enjoy some recent pictures!

Almost crawling, Luke?

At a soccer game

Grandma with her 2 grandkids - Madeline and Luke

Bath time

Who's that, Luke?

Luke's computer code shirt

Our family

Luke likes to be upside down

Vibha and Luke at the science center

Back to School

2008-08-28T19:54:00.001-07:00

Yes, it's that time of year again. I am back to school, working full-time this fall. I just finished my fourth day of classes and everything seems to be going well. It's great to feel the energy of having students on campus again - I am so blessed to have my job. That means Luke is also going to his own "school" each day at day care. Luke loves watching and "talking" to the other babies and toddlers. We are so fortunate that Luke is easy-going. But he does give his daddy a huge smile when he picks him up at the end of the day.

My mom spent the past few days with us, so she took care of Luke yesterday and brought him to campus. It was such a treat to have lunch with Luke and introduce him to my students.

Luke is getting his fifth tooth now, so he bites anything that fits in his mouth. He has recently learned to love cantaloupe and tolerates yogurt and peas. One of his favorite activities is to squeal as loudly as he can, usually at an ear-piercing pitch. He can also say "da da da da", but we have no idea if he associates the babbling with his daddy. He can move now, too - so leaving him on the floor is no longer safe. He does not crawl, but he can spin around on his tummy and push himself backward.

I need to give "Bacon" a bath now. Yes, that's what I call Luke. I used to always say, "What's shaking, Bacon?" because Luke is a constant squirmer. Now I call him Bacon more often than I say "Luke". Here are a few pictures of him from the past two weeks:

Luke played cards with Sharon

Luke is a happy little guy

Resting with Grandma

Luke plays on the computer with daddy - look at those teeth

M Go Blue!

M Go Blue (again!)

Napping with daddy - the boys slept in last Sunday

Boys' Time

2008-08-24T20:42:00.000-07:00

Luke and I had some more 1-1 time this weekend. Tammy and her mom went to the Safeway golf classic Sat. Morning. Then they went to opening mass at UP in the afternoon (one of the things Tammy is required to do as a faculty member). So I took the opportunity to take Luke to Lowe's. It was his first trip to a hardware store. Luke had a lot of fun. He was smiling and laughing a lot. We did not need a lot of things, but we wandered around the store a little. Then we later went to the park and played on the swings.

After opening mass, we all went to the opening women's soccer game of the season. UP beat Oregon, 3-1. It was then followed by a fireworks show. We left the game a little early so that the fireworks would not frighten Luke. But they started on our way home and he was intrigued by them. He could not take his eyes off of them. He did not even mind the noise.

Then this morning Luke and I were both tired so we took a nap together for a few hours this morning. You have to take naps when you get up at 6:30 in the morning. :) I had not even made it out of the bed yet.

Tom

Something to Sink My Teeth Into

2008-08-13T10:39:00.000-07:00

That's exactly what Luke looks for every day...something to chew. It slipped my mind to write about Luke's teeth (but, believe me, I am reminded of his teeth each time he eats). Luke has four teeth - two lower and two upper - and wants to bite everything. I will try to capture a tooth-filled grin sometime soon. In the meantime, enjoy these photos from our adventures in August.

We watched the Portland Beavers baseball team with a friend and his daughter. Even though the Beavers lost in extra innings, it was an exciting game with great plays in the field and several home runs. We were all much happier after we moved to seats in the shade.

Tom and I celebrated our eighth anniversary yesterday (time sure flies...). We usually take a long weekend trip to remember our nuptials, so we headed to Eagle Crest Resort in Central Oregon this year. We enjoyed three days of fun and relaxation at a house we rented. It was a great way to say goodbye to summer, since my first day of school this fall is August 25. We played miniature golf (true mini golf on grass with fairways, rough, bunkers, and water). Tom beat me soundly, especially after I took 11 shots to complete the first hole - it took me about 5 attempts to figure out how to putt out of a bunker. We also rented a go-kart bicycle (see below) and toured the resort on wheels - a lot of fun, but no gears made climbing hills very difficult. Luke spent an afternoon in the kiddie pool and we got in a few games of pickleball and basketball.

Look mom, I have your sunglasses!

Look dad, I have your hat!

I just love the swing

Mini golf

Picturesque Central Oregon

Luke enjoys the kiddie pool

Our bicycle tour

A visit from Karen

2008-08-07T16:04:00.000-07:00

Our friend, Karen, from college came to visit us and meet little Luke. We had such a great time with her and were sad to see her go. Well, actually, we saw her leave twice... her first plane was delayed so she took another flight back to MN 8 hours later.

We were quite busy during her visit (busy for us, not so busy for her). We visited the science center, had dinner with my brother's family, hit balls at the driving range, hiked to the top of Multnomah Falls, toured a brewery, visited a winery, watched windsurfers in Hood River, went golfing, went to book babies, and visited the zoo (all in 5 days!!). My favorite two activities were golfing and getting a massage. I enjoyed hitting the golf course again, and, much to my surprise, my golf game has not fallen apart. I shot 5-over-par for 9 holes, which is close to my pre-Luke scores. Anyway, we thank Karen for taking the time to visit us from MN.

Luke likes Karen!

Our family at the driving range

Karen plays with Luke and Mark

At Multnomah Falls

At the falls

Karen and Luke

Tammy and Karen

We made it to the top!!

On the way down...

Our family

Luke is so happy!

Karen on the golf course

Luke and Zora at Book Babies

Karen fed Luke avocado

Luke is a cutie!

2008-08-07T15:52:00.000-07:00

Luke has certainly been a busy boy lately and he is sure a cutie (we're a bit biased). Enjoy these cute pictures of him. For those of you who want developmental updates, Luke is not yet crawling. As you might already know, Luke does not enjoy "tummy time", so learning to crawl will be quite a challenge. Luke continues to enjoy sitting without support and playing with toys, books, and cups. "Playing" is a loose term - his main objective for every toy is to get it into his mouth, regardless of size. His favorite item is a noisy, plastic yellow ball and he has mastered the art of "palming" balls.

Eating update: Luke is more eager to eat solid food now, which has caused some problems on the other end... diaper rash. He continues to love yams, sweet potatoes, squash, bananas, puffs, and baby mum-mum teething crackers. He still hates peas and is slowly getting used to carrots and pears.

Luke enjoys posing for the camera

Luke loves his toes!

Luke loves the ball pit at the science museum

Brian (Tammy's cousin) and Luke

Dim and Luke - thanks for the wonderful dinner, Dim!

Luke plays in his tub on our patio

Sierra and Luke (thanks Sierra and her mom for babysitting Luke one afternoon)

Luke's First Mariners Game

2008-08-07T15:44:00.000-07:00

Tom, Luke, and I took a quick trip to Seattle for the weekend in mid-July. As you can probably tell by my lack of posts, we have been busy lately. Our trip to Seattle was, yet again, a whirlwind tour visiting several friends. On the way, we stopped to visit Luke's godparents in Tacoma and caught the beginning of the Air Force Flight Show - it was a great air show. We managed to get to the Mariners game by the end of the second inning (traffic was heavy), grabbed the last parking spot in a nearby lot, and a Mariners employee gave us free tickets! It was our lucky day. It was not so lucky for the Seattle Mariners, though - they played awful with several errors in the field and poor hitting. Despite the poor play against Cleveland, Luke enjoyed the game (well, probably just watching nearby spectators). Kimmy and Alan graciously hosted us for the evening. On Sunday, we attended our former church and saw several friends. After church, we visited with three sets of friends: Jessi, Matt, and Lukas who are friends from college; Ratul and Martha who are friends from grad school; and Lindsey, Mike, and Isaac (Lindsey is a childhood friend of mine). We had a wonderful time and hope to get up north soon! Enjoy pictures from our trip.

Luke enjoys being almost naked

From the air show

Watching the Seattle Mariners

Our family at Safeco Field

Luke with the Pauls Family

Tammy, Luke, Matt, and Lukas (Lukas is almost exactly 1 year older than Luke)

Luke and Ratul - such different skin colors (Ratul and Tammy are good buddies from grad school)

Isaac, Lindsey, and Luke

Look-alike contest

2008-07-17T10:09:00.000-07:00

My mom loaned me my dad's baby album a few weeks ago and I thought I was seeing twins! Tell us what you think...

Grandpa Mark (top), Luke (bottom)

Here is the photo of my dad and his two brothers (Paul and Dale)

Independence Day in Detroit

2008-07-17T09:35:00.000-07:00

We visited Tom's family in Michigan for a long fourth of July weekend. We saw several relatives during our trip and Luke traveled well. He was well-behaved during both flights, but the pilot on the outgoing trip interrupted two of Luke's naps to report weather conditions in Detroit. Tom, Luke, and I also enjoyed a quick getaway to Frankenmuth (a Bavarian village) for two days - Luke took his first train and second boat rides while we were there.

Having fun with Grandma Nancy

Look Daddy - I'm on my first train ride

Isn't Luke cute?

Bath time with mommy

Look Mommy - My second boat ride

Having fun with Grandpa Tom

Tom's family

Uncle David, Aunt Marcy, Tom, and Luke

Hold on tight, Luke

Tom's family - Nancy, Tom, Tom, Doug, Luke
At Greenfield Village

Birthday Smiles

2008-07-16T10:41:00.001-07:00

Wow, 31 years have gone by quickly. I celebrated my first birthday as a mom and I had such a great day. Tom took the day off work (even though he has a deadline approaching), so we could spend the day as a family. After spending some time at the dinosaur exhibit at the zoo, I had a chance to relax at the spa. We even had an evening alone (first time since February, since Luke takes the bottle again) thanks to my aunt and uncle for volunteering to babysit. Enjoy some of Luke's recent smiles below.

Luke update: He loves to sit unsupported now (has been sitting for the past three weeks), pick up balls, and bang cups on the floor. By far, his favorite toys are balls, so we may have a little athlete (making me very happy). He has also started eating "real" food. We thought Luke would be a great eater after he spent so many months jamming whatever he could into his mouth, but the last thing he wants in his mouth is the spoon. Oh well...he is learning how to to swallow soft foods. So far, here is how he ranks various foods:

Squash - loves it
Yams - ok
Carrots - ok
Peas - hates them (in fact, he threw up shortly after his first swallow of peas last night)
Bananas - ok

Luke's first taste of squash

Happy Birthday, Tammy - at the zoo

Luke likes the slide

Luke loves Grandma Eileen

Luke is a Gustie fan!!! Thanks to the MCS Dept. for this onesie.

Summer Fun

2008-06-20T21:18:00.000-07:00

The weather has finally felt more summer-like the past few days. Luke sure enjoys stroller walks, so we spend lots of time outside. During the month of June, we have enjoyed a Beavers baseball game, Jamie and Ryan's wedding, and celebrating the June birthdays.

Tom celebrated his first father's day, too! Luke surprised him with a book of pictures he chose with mommy. We had a relaxing day at church, out to lunch, and watching an exciting US Open (golf). I know that most people think golf is dull to watch and to play (and I, of course, have a very different opinion), but the US Open was great theater.

I am looking forward to my birthday next week. Tom is taking the day off work, so we can spend the entire day together as a family. My aunt and uncle are generously giving their time to watch Luke in the evening, so Tom and I get to have dinner alone.

Update about Luke:
Little man is 5.5 months old now and "grows up" a little each day. Most people ask about his recent skills. No, he is not hitting golf balls yet. He can roll from his tummy to his back (started this at 4 months) and can sit unsupported for about 30 seconds. He loves gravity, too - watching water poured on him in the bath, watching toys fall to the floor, and daddy throwing him in the air. Enjoy some recent photos of Luke:

At the Beavers game with Uncle Jim, cousin Mark, and daddy

Luke is a Tigers fan (thanks to Uncle Doug)

Having fun at OMSI's baby area

Luke can sleep in amazing positions

Look - grandma and Luke match!

Our family at Jamie and Ryan's wedding

Enjoying an evening at the park

Anna and Luke

Happy Father's Day, Tom (Luke with his book)

Baby play date at our house

New cousin Maddie

2008-06-20T21:14:00.000-07:00

Luke has a new cousin, Madeline. She was born on May 31. Look how sweet she is...

Our first "family" vacation

2008-05-22T15:45:00.000-07:00

Tom, Luke, and I took our first family vacation to San Diego, California. We certainly enjoyed our time together. Tom worked at Qualcomm's headquarters one day while Luke and I enjoyed the sunshine. We spent the next four days on vacation, taking in some sights of southern California. Luke took his first swim in a pool, saw the Pacific Ocean for the first time, napped through several animal shows at Seaworld, saw a koala and panda at the San Diego zoo, attended his first Major League Baseball game, hiked (rode) in Torrey Pines State Park, and enjoyed the sunshine.

Luke loved the vacation and it was quite easy to travel with him and his gear. He rarely fussed while we were out of town and took to any stranger who greeted him. He was a hit with the hotel staff. Enjoy a few photos from our trip.

The airplane ride

Luke's first swim

At the Shamu show

Luke eyes the sharks

Shamu

Tall enough, Luke?

Beach at La Jolla

Torrey Pines State Park

Cute Luke

Koala at the San Diego Zoo

Panda Bear

On the sky ride

Padres game at Petco Park

Luke's first swim

My first mother's day

2008-05-13T11:39:00.000-07:00

Little Luke is now 4.5 months old. Time has flown by, hasn't it? We celebrated my first mother's day by going to church and out to lunch at a French cafe. I look forward to the gift Tom gave me... a massage. Carrying around a baby (even though he is not heavy) and breastfeeding are creating tight muscles in my back. We went to the driving range last week (first time I hit balls since Luke was born) and I learned quickly that I lost all my strength and flexibility the past few months.

We took a few videos of Luke, so you can see him in action. He is a man of motion (which is why I think he is so skinny). The first video shows Luke laughing at Tom. In the second video, I am helping Luke learn to walk (yes, he has shown a preference for standing and moving on his feet).

Enjoy some of his recent photos:

Luke did not enjoy his sunglasses

Laying on his surfboard

Luke likes daddy's mouth

Adelaide and Luke napping during church

Luke's first Portland Beavers (baseball) game

Grandma Eileen and Luke at book babies

The bubbles

Grandma and Luke played while mommy was at faculty meetings

Luke and Kyle at "Babies and Me" group

Luke tolerates his tummy time now

Family photo for mother's day - we are wearing red for Pentecost

Happy mother's day, Tammy

Luke's holy bath

2008-04-25T11:03:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed an exciting weekend with friends and family for Luke's baptism. Tom's brother, Doug, came from Chicago to meet Luke and witness the baptism. During Doug's visit, Luke saw several Portland attractions. We had lunch on a tour boat, shopped at Columbia Sportswear, saw the animals napping at the zoo, and watched a UP women's soccer game on Friday. After Tammy's grandmother's 1-year memorial service on Saturday, we had great Chinese food, took a ride on the tram, visited the science museum, and went out to dinner. Sunday was Luke's big day at church - he had a water awakening, both spiritually and physically. We were blessed with so many friends and family who celebrated Luke's baptism.

On the boat

Our family on the boat

At the science museum

Ready for the big day

The baptism

Luke wore Grandpa Mark's baptismal gown and used Tom's baptismal blanket

Luke with his Godparents

Friends and family who came to the baptism

Having fun with Uncle Doug

The VanDeGrift men

Spring-time Fun

2008-04-25T10:44:00.000-07:00

We have enjoyed some of the early April spring-time weather. Luke has enjoyed the zoo, spending a day at a fun center with his cousin, watching soccer games, and going to the park. Enjoy some of his recent photos.

Tammy and Luke with the elephants

Is he cute or what?

Tom and Luke

Having fun at the "fun" center

Luke is "talking" to Tom

Luke likes hanging out in the swing

Happy Easter!

2008-04-02T19:44:00.000-07:00

We continue to enjoy life as parents. Watching Luke develop new skills brings us lots of smiles. His most recent favorite activity is to "converse" with us. He tries to mimic our sounds and says "oooohhh" often. Since our last post, Luke has experienced his first computer science conference and his first holiday - Easter. Luke, my mom, and I attended a conference for computer science educators in Portland. Because so many of my friends attend this conference, we had a little party at our house. We also enjoyed hosting my extended family for Easter this year and Luke met some of his relatives for the first time.

Luke entered our family NCAA pool this year, too. He chose his teams based on what arm moved first after I gave him the team line-ups. Needless to say, he is in last place in our family pool.

Here are a few recent photos:

Luke and Sarah

Luke and Naomi (also a first-timer at the conference)

Luke cheered for Michigan State (despite Tom's allegiance) during the NCAA tournament

Our family on Easter Sunday

Mark, Anca, and Luke on Easter. Mark filled up his Easter basket!

Luke enjoys his new chair

Luke is dressed in Michigan colors!

Luke visited Tom at work one day and met a few of his co-workers

Luke and I

2008-03-10T20:37:00.000-07:00

Luke and I had our own guy time this past weekend. We went on a walk (I got some coffee). When we got back Luke enjoyed a little nap an then some food. There is not a lot that happened so I don't have a lot to say. But we both survived and in fact had fun.

(This picture is not from that day, but Luke hanging out with Tammy one afternoon enjoying a little outside time.)

More "Firsts"

2008-03-09T19:49:00.000-07:00

Life has been busy lately for our family, and we enjoy every minute with our little man. Luke has experienced a few more "firsts" in his life.

During Presidents Day weekend, Luke went on his first "trip" to Seattle to visit our friends there. Kimmy and Alan were extremely gracious to host us with a potentially loud baby. Fortunately, Luke managed well on the trip. He had just one hour of extreme fussiness (I learned that Luke does not like Indian food...too bad for me).

Tom's parents visited for a week in late February, so Luke met his grandparents for the first time. During their visit, Luke had his first trip to the zoo.

Luke saw a UP basketball game for the first time. Even though he has attended several games, he always slept through them. During the Pilots final home game, Luke woke up and watched the second half. Unfortunately, the Pilots lost to St. Mary's.

Luke went to a UP baseball game for the first time. The Pilots were crushed by Oregon State (2-time national champions) 16 - 0. Luke and I attended the game with our neighbors, who have a daughter that is three weeks older than Luke.

And, finally, Luke slept "through the night" for the first time last night. He slept for seven straight hours. Previously, he slept 4 to 5 hours for the longest night stretch. We are hopeful that his 7-hour sleeping pattern continues.

A Valentine's Love

2008-02-14T17:10:00.000-08:00

We love our little Luke very much - a kind of love that we have not experienced before. Luke is doing well and is becoming more interactive each day. Some of his recent experiences include:
- enjoying (napping through) the Superbowl game
- seeing snow for the first time
- getting sick (he had a bad cold for over a week)
- batting at toys
- going to "baby and mommy" meetings
- going to the Golf Show at the convention center
- visiting Tammy's colleagues at school

Enjoy his recent photos:

Luke in his plastic tub

Luke's one month birthday - Meara sent a bunch of burp cloths and books.

Resting peacefully

Luke can drink mom's milk from a bottle.

Luke sees his first snow

Feeling snow for the first time

Luke is starting to smile...

Luke can punch in his skinny body

Luke bats at toys

Photos - Week 4

2008-01-26T19:33:00.001-08:00

Gary, Sophia (4 months), Tom and Luke

Meeting people at church (Luke with Pastor Melinda)

Hanging out...

Touchdown!

My first trip to grandma's house

Resting peacefully

My little feet

Early computer user

My First Sporting Event

2008-01-26T19:00:00.000-08:00

My parents took me to a UP men's basketball game on January 19. I thought I would bring the Pilots good luck, but they lost to San Francisco by one point. Oh well. I missed the entire game, since I napped on daddy's tummy for two hours. Since then, I have attended two other basketball games. The Pilots lost to San Diego (by a last-second shot) but they beat CS Bakersfield last night. Again, I slept the entire time during the games. My parents are starting to think they should record the audio from a basketball game and play it all night long to help me sleep...

2-week check-up

2008-01-15T13:03:00.000-08:00

I had my 2-week appointment with the pediatrician today and I have gained an ounce a day since my last visit, so I am close to my birth weight at 6 lbs 12 ounces. I have also grown a half inch since I was born. The doctor said everything looks good with my health, so I will go back for my next routine visit in six weeks.

Here are a few of my favorite things:
Laying on daddy's chest
Eating
Looking at books
Sleeping
Sucking on my hands

More Photos

2008-01-11T18:26:00.001-08:00

Luke's First Bath (he was 2.5 hours old)

Daddy and Luke

Mommy, Grandma, and Luke

Aunt Anca, Cousin Mark, Tom, Uncle Jim, Tammy, and Luke

Luke's first outfit

Luke's second outfit (after getting daddy all wet...)

Curious parents...

Going home... Luke's first car ride

Luke's first home visitors... Andrew and Melody

and Sharon and Wayne

Luke's first bath at home

Daddy and Luke

Kristin and Luke

Parents are still sleep-deprived...

Sleeping peacefully... (not usually at 2:30 AM)

Awake time...

My First Week

2008-01-09T19:36:00.001-08:00

Day One (Jan 1)
I spent much of the day sleeping and eating. Grandma Eileen, Uncle Jim, Aunt Anca, cousin Mark, great uncle Paul, and great aunt Vickie visited me in the hospital.

Day Two (Jan 2)
Again, I spent much of the day sleeping and eating. Unfortunately for my parents, I spent much of the night awake and exercised my lungs. My parents' friends Tricia and Ryan (and their 3 sons) visited me in the hospital. Grandma Eileen came for the afternoon and we left the hospital in the evening. Grandma Eileen is staying with us to help my mommy and daddy.

Day Three (Jan 3)
I slept much of the day in my new crib. My great aunt Sharon, great uncle Wayne, cousin Andrew, and cousin-in-law Melody came to visit. I guess I came two weeks early so I could meet Andrew and Melody while they were in town for new year's.

Day Four (Jan 4)
I am still adjusting to "night" and "day" and spent much of the night awake and keeping my mom awake through the night. I had my first pediatrician appointment today and found out that I had lost 12 ounces of weight. My mommy's milk came in this afternoon, so I finally got a chance to eat. And, boy, did I eat for the next 12 hours.

Day Five (Jan 5)
Jim, Anca, and Mark came to visit me today and cooked brunch for my parents. The food was greatly appreciated.

Day Six (Jan 6)
I had my first "real" outing today. We went to church and I stayed awake during the service. I met several people in the congregation after worship. After church we went to Jim's house for lunch. In the evening, my neighbors Flo, Brian, and Desmond came to meet me.

Day Seven (Jan 7)
I am starting to adjust my schedule so I sleep for 3-hour stretches at night, which is greatly appreciated by my parents. Grandma Eileen is doing a great job cooking for my parents, so they remember to eat healthy meals. I went to the hospital today to get my weight checked and I now weigh 6 lbs 5 ounces, so I am gaining weight at a healthy rate. My parents' friend, Kristin, came to meet me in the evening and I woke up just in time for her to hear my voice.

Day Eight (Jan 8)
I slept well again last night, giving my parents some time to sleep. My mom's colleague, Steve, came to meet me in the afternoon. Uncle Jim, Aunt Anca, and cousin Mark came over for dinner. Mom had Thai food and I must really like it, too. I ate 3 times in 3 hours between 9 PM and midnight.

Tammy's post-pregnancy reflections:
- I love to watch Luke's eyes and mouth.
- Singing with some lung capacity sure feels good.
- Sleeping on my stomach feels great.
- No more heartburn :)
- I can cut my toenails again.
- Just like I did not know that I was in labor, I did not know that my milk came in. Everyone says, "You'll know when your milk comes in", but I had no clue. Tom pointed out that Luke's outfit was wet after a feeding and I said I must have gotten my water on him. Well, it turned out that it was milk. I had no idea the milk had come in.

Little Luke Thomas

2008-01-04T09:42:00.000-08:00

OK, here it is - the post you have all been waiting for... Luke Thomas VanDeGrift was born on New Year's Eve at 8:27 PM. He weighed 6 lbs 13 ounces and was 19 and 3/4 inches long. He is a handsome little guy (we are biased and sleep-deprived, but you might agree with us). I guess he wanted to be a December baby and surprised us two weeks early. So, we had an eventful new year's eve celebration!

For those who want more details, here is my labor story. I'll describe my thoughts "in the moment" and provide a retrospective as to what was actually happening at the end.

I woke up around 2 AM on Dec. 31 for my normal bathroom break. I had some low cramps (nothing painful), so I just thought my bladder was full and emptying it would make me feel better. I kept having these low cramps about every 15 to 30 minutes, and, each time, I emptied my bladder. I also drank some water and walked around a bit, but I was not uncomfortable, so I did not wake up Tom. Around 6:30 AM, I woke him up and said I was either starting some practice contractions or I had food poisoning. I rested for another hour or so in bed, took a shower, and once I was up and walking around, the low cramps were starting to go away. I was also emptying my bowels in the morning, which led me to believe it was more likely to be food poisoning than labor (I have had food poisoning two times in the past and the cramps I was having felt just like food poisoning). Since it was new year's eve, Tom and I watched some football and basketball games in the morning and early afternoon. We watched the Oregon-Southern Florida football game and I was impressed with Oregon's red-shirt freshman quarterback. Since I did not sleep with all the bathroom breaks, we re-scheduled our new year's eve plans (poker game) with my cousin, cousin-in-law, aunt and uncle to start around 4 or 5 PM instead of later in the evening. Just in case, we packed our hospital bags in the trunk (Tom had just finished packing his bag that morning, too). We picked up my mom from my brother's house and took her to my aunt and uncle's for the poker game. I managed to win a few hands while the lower stomach cramps started to get more painful and more frequent. Everyone at the table noticed that I was not as talkative as usual and I kept reassuring them that I thought I had food poisoning. I took a bathroom break and came back to the poker table and said I would sit on the couch for a few poker hands. The pain was not yet unbearable, but after some encouragement (my mom), I called the doctor to ask for her advice. We talked around 6:15 PM and she asked about my symptoms and suggested I put my feet up, rest, and take a bath. She said cramps two weeks before labor are common for first babies. Since I was not at home, I rested on my aunt and uncle's couch and, at this point, Tom gave up his poker playing, too. The pains were starting to be frequent (about every 4 to 6 minutes), but they were not lasting over a minute, and I could talk to Tom through the pain. Just after 7 PM (with my mom's encouragement), Tom and I left the poker party. When we got into the car, he asked if I wanted to go home or to the hospital. I said we better go to the hospital - either I was in labor or I needed some pain relief from food poisoning. I had 4 or 5 painful cramps en route to the hospital, but Tom continued to drive safely and not too fast. We checked into the birth center around 7:30 PM. I remember the admitting nurse asked me several questions, but I cannot remember the questions or my answers right now. I was escorted to one of the birthing rooms at Emanuel Hospital, changed into the hospital gown, and provided a urine sample for the nurse. Around 7:40 PM, the nurse helped me get situated in the bed and started taking my vitals (blood pressure, pulse, temperature). She then said she would check my cervix for dilation and, much to everyone's surprise, she said I was at 10 centimeters. I remember everything started happening very quickly at that point - the staff OB/GYN doctor came into my room and said if I felt so much pressure that I needed to push, that he would be just outside the door and would help me deliver the baby. The nurse said my doctor was on the way and tried to keep me relaxed until she arrived. My doctor came around 8 PM, checked my cervix, and changed into her scrubs very quickly. She was shocked that I was at 10 centimeters already and said I had everyone's dream labor. I asked about the epidural (that I was planning to have) and it turns out that I was too close to pushing for it to make any sense. Besides, the nurses and anesthesiologist had trouble poking my veins for the IV and never even got the IV started. (My ugliest war wounds from delivery are the bruises I have from the 4 IV attempts.) After the doctor broke my water, I started pushing with each contraction. Now, this was the part I was fearing the most about delivery - the pushing. But, I have to say that the pushing felt so much better than the stomach cramps. So, about 20 minutes and 4 or 5 contractions later, our baby was born. I was thrilled and shocked that everything happened so fast. Tom was also in shock with the process and remained sitting near my head during the pushing phase. The baby was placed on my chest immediately after delivery and Tom cut the umbilical cord. I thought the baby had red hair, but it turns out that his hair is blonde (another surprise) and it was just bloody at the time. I guess the placenta came out at this point (but I did not feel this at all) and the baby nurse cleaned up our little guy, weighed him, and measured him. Because everything happened so fast, our camera was in the car and we have no pictures of the birth! (Perhaps that was for the better...). The doctor stitched me up since I tore a little bit (I decided to push hard at the end instead of listening to her about waiting until the next contraction). So - that was it. We had our son in less than an hour after we arrived to the hospital.

Retrospective: OK, I was having early labor all morning and thought it was food poisoning. The contractions were not making my belly hard (like the Braxton Hicks contractions I had during the past two months), so I did not think they were contractions. Also, they were not lasting a long time during each cramping pain, so I did not think they were the "real deal". I could always talk through the contractions during the poker party, so I did not think it was true labor. My birth class instructor said that toward the end, I would have an unhappy face and not be able to talk through the pain. I never got to the point of not being able to talk. We are lucky my mom knew that I was in labor and kept encouraging us to get to the hospital (at the time, we tried to reassure her that I was not yet close to delivery since the pain was not painful enough). My doctor was also shocked that I could talk with her on the phone at 6:15 PM and have a baby two hours later. She said I have a very high tolerance for pain - something I did not know before this event. So, I am quite thankful that everything went smoothly with the labor and delivery.

You might be wondering why I do not refer to the baby as "Luke" in the prose above. We did not have a name for him when we went to the hospital, but we had a short list of 4 names. We finally named him about 12 hours after he was born. Luke means "bringer of light", which is appropriate for a December birth. Before we had a name, we referred to him as "Little Man VanDeGrift" and "Little Mister". Now, he is "Little Luke". We are surprised that he has blonde hair (with both of us having brown hair), but Tom had blonde hair as a baby and my dad had blonde hair as a baby. Luke looks a lot like Tom and very little like Tammy.

Here's Tammy and Luke about 2 hours after delivery.

We'll try to post more pictures as we have time. If you want to see pictures that Tammy's brother posted, visit this URL:
Walgreen Photos

Merry Christmas

2007-12-28T10:44:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed several Christmas gatherings with my family. (The pictures are from the 23rd and 24th of December.) Our choir performed a cantata for the service on the 23rd, so I sang and Tom played viola in a small string ensemble (which is why Tom is wearing a suit). I gained 2 pounds in the past week from all the Christmas food and goodies (or, more likely, the baby is growing). We had a great time at Paul and Vickie's party and gift exchange, with the funniest gift being a pillow that my brother's family brought. I won't go into details, just in case young people are reading the blog, but the adults can guess the subject matter. We "recycled" the Menopause for Dummies book that my cousin brought last year. It was only fitting that my uncle ended up with the book at the end of the gift exchange. We spent Christmas day baking cookies and had dinner at my brother's house.

Baby update: People keep asking me when I am due and if I am having contractions. I guess my walking gait has changed now that my center of mass has shifted so far forward. People are worried that I will go into labor anytime. I will say that it is a good thing that pregnancy lasts just 9 months, since my bladder wakes me up every two to three hours. Back to the due date - my original due date is January 18, but the ultrasound at 19 weeks moved it to January 13. So, I just tell people that I am due sometime in mid-January. As of now, I am through 37 weeks of pregnancy, so the baby could come anytime. If you want to guess a day and time of the birth, create a response to this blog with your guess and we can see who comes the closest. [Maybe we'll even send the winner a prize.]

We saw the doctor again yesterday and everything seems to be going fine with the baby. My uterus now measures 37 centimeters vertically (which is normal for 37 weeks of pregnancy). His heart beats 140 times per minute, which also seems to be a healthy number.

Enjoy the new year festivities and all the best to you in 2008!

One Last Shower

2007-12-20T13:41:00.000-08:00

Tom's co-workers threw us a baby shower yesterday afternoon, which was fun and appreciated. Our baby now has a high chair, which is the last big item that we needed for him. I think we are set in terms of baby gear and clothes now (well, I am sure we will be buying lots of diapers and wipes in the near future...). Tom's co-workers tried to help us with choosing a name, but I do not think we will take the suggestion of "Bam Bam". I thought of Barney Rubble, but Bam is the name of one of their Qualcomm projects.

Doctor Update: We now see my doctor every week until I go into labor. My doctor had not been able to determine the baby's position during the last couple of visits, but the ultrasound today revealed that he is head down, buttom up, so he is ready for delivery. I also learned that I have been having contractions (the warm-up kind) - I just did not know they were happening. During my exam, the doctor said, "You are having a contraction." Now I know I have been having false contractions for quite some time. They do not hurt; instead, they just make the top-half of my belly really hard.

We also had our last birth class last night. One of the couples in the class had their baby early, so they brought their son and shared their birth story last night. I must say that it was reassuring to hear that she had a fantastic (despite 38 hours) labor and delivery. She gave us some great advice, much of which I should have written down. Here's some of the advice that I can remember:

- Pack loose-fitting clothes for after delivery
- Pack music / mp3 player
- Pack chapstick
- Pack entertaining movies
- Use water (bath or shower) during labor
- Hire a lactation consultant if breastfeeding does not get off to a good start
- Have Tom repeat everything the doctor says

12 Days Until Christmas

2007-12-13T12:11:00.000-08:00

Mid-December is already here. I was surprised to hear on the radio that we have just 12 days left until Christmas. The time has certainly passed quickly, as the end of semester activities kept me busy. (In fact, I am in the midst of grading reports for my Intro to Engineering course and look forward to finishing reading the large pile in front of me. Writing this entry is giving my brain a break.)

We have little news regarding the baby. I will see the doctor every week until our son decides to make his entrance into the world. Everything seems to be going fine - his heartbeat is strong and his body is taking up more room in my belly. My doctor is a bit unsure about his position, but I am fairly certain that his head is down. When he hiccups, I feel the jabs near my pelvis.

This time of year is keeping us busy, too. Tom was busy baking cookies the past two weeks. He had a Christmas orchestra concert on Saturday, so now he is "on break" from orchestra rehearsal for a few months. We keep thinking that "next week" will be less busy, but we seem to have activities/events most evenings and weekends until Christmas. If I do not have time to write again before Christmas, we hope you have a season filled with much happiness!

Almost Here

2007-11-21T18:32:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving! I know Tom and I are thankful for many blessings in our lives, especially our family, friends, and health. We hope you enjoy the holiday with loved ones. Here's a poem of thanks from our upcoming arrival:

I have ten tiny fingers and ten tiny toes
With my kicks, I remind my parents how I grow
I am learning how to taste, hear, smell, touch and see
Thank you, mom, for carrying me

I anticipate the world with wonder and delight
With God's grace, my future is bright
Until we meet, please pray for my health
Your love and generosity are my wealth
- Baby VanDeGrift

Jack Sprat (yet again)

2007-11-19T22:00:00.000-08:00

My sister-in-law, Anca, threw me a wonderful baby shower where several family members and friends showered our boy with gifts. Apparently, my nursery rhyme knowledge did not improve in the past two weeks. My score this time? 11 / 15. Again, Jack Sprat was a tough one for me. By this point, I knew that he ate no fat, but I had no idea what his wife could not eat... Oh, well. Chanda took the prize for the nursery rhyme game (not too surprising, since she has a 15-month-old daughter). Luckily, my cousin, Lisa, gave me a set of nursery rhyme cards as a baby gift (so at least I now have some study aids).

We had a great time with the games. We tried to guess baby food (I got a low-score of .5 of 7 correct - the only food I recognized was peas, and it accounted for half the mixture.) We tried to guess items in a diaper bag (I think I got 9 items correct, which was about half the items Anca packed into the bag). My friends and family also wrote down words about the baby and here's a sample of what I can remember: blessed, beloved, beautiful, boy, bouncy, youthful, vision, vivacious, adorable, active, athletic, angelic, new, darling, delightful, devoted, energetic, exhausting, gift, great, generous, giggle, rich, restless, intelligent, innocent, first, faith, fun, thankful, and treat. [Note: the words start with letters BABY VANDEGRIFT]

A nice treat was the set of recipes compiled by the shower guests. We now have several options for quick meals for us and quick meals for the baby once he can eat solids. Thanks for all the cooking advice.

Our baby is one lucky kid. The car was packed with gifts from my generous family and friends. We are almost stocked in terms of baby gear and supplies, so thank you to everyone who gave gifts to our baby. We can't wait for the day when our son gets to meet you.

I appreciate everyone who came to the shower, both from near and far-away places. Your love and friendship are the true gifts for Tom, myself, and our upcoming arrival. I want to express a huge thank you to Anca for hosting the shower, planning the food, entertaining us with games and prizes, and for all her organization. A huge thank you to my brother, Jim, for spontaneously becoming a babysitter for the children who came.

And now, some photos from the shower for you to see...

6 to 8, 3 to 5

2007-11-19T21:59:00.000-08:00

We started our baby and birth classes. Here's what I have learned so far...

6-8 pees, 3-5 poops per day for healthy newborn
baby origami for swaddling/burritos
birthing videos are scary
doulas are hyper
confirmed that we will get no sleep

Overall, classes so far have been helpful (so far 2 birth classes and a day-long baby/breastfeeding workshop). We are gaining a better idea of what to expect. We enjoy our birth classmates and boy babies seem to be popular.

42 inches

2007-11-06T17:27:00.000-08:00

Nope.. not my height. Try again...

Nope.. not my bust size (even though I am pregnant!)

That's the circumference around my belly, as measured by Bridget during a game at my baby shower last weekend. Two people exactly guessed my belly size! My wonderful high school friends threw our baby a shower of kindness (and many gifts). We have one lucky baby.

I have to say that I felt like my students during the shower... Bridget quizzed us about nursery rhymes and I think I scored 11 / 16. I suppose that's a passing grade, but I have some studying to do before the baby comes! For example, I have not heard of Jack Spat (Sprat) ... see, I can't even remember the name of the character. I quizzed Tom when I returned home and he got 15 /16!! I now know who the nursery rhyme expert in the family is. It's no surprise that the winners of this game, with 16 / 16, were Tricia (a kindergarten teacher) and Audrey (a kindergarten student).

Here are my wonderful friends (some have brought me close to 30 years of absolute joy). Thanks to everyone who helped with organizing the shower! Thank you, Carol, for entertaining us in your home. Thank you, Kristin, for being the point person. Thank you, Bridget, for the great games and prizes. Thank you, Rachy and Jamie, for the yummy baked goods. And I thank everyone else for your love, generosity, and kindness.

Here are our baby's future playmates (Benjamin - 4.5 months, Sophia - 6 weeks, Jacob - 8.5 months with mothers Bridget, Rachy, and Lori):

And, I can't forget Jamie's cupcakes:

Life's a Beach

2007-11-06T17:12:00.000-08:00

Tom's brother, Doug, visited us for Tom's birthday (you can guess the year...). We spent the weekend in Oceanside, OR. Along the way we visited a sakery (where sake is made) and the winery where our neighbor, Kristin, works.

Here's Tom and Doug at the beach.

Below are some pictures overlooking the beach from the lighthouse at Cape Mears.

CA trip

2007-10-18T10:51:00.000-07:00

We visited Meara last weekend at her new home in Modesto, CA. Since we took pictures during our day at Yosemite, I thought I would post a few here. You can see that my tummy is growing (pictures are at 26 weeks of pregnancy). We had a great time catching up with Meara, seeing her house, visiting Yosemite National Park, and getting a tour of Modesto. The scenic pictures are of the "Half Dome" granite formation at the park.

The ultrasound picture shows the baby at 19 weeks. Sorry for the delay in getting it posted (but I finally had time since it is Fall Break for me).

Update on doctor's visits: I had my glucose screening test to check for gestational diabetes and (fortunately) my sugar level in my blood is normal. My first screening test showed borderline levels of glucose, but my fasting test came back from the lab with no signs of diabetes. I am thankful that my health and the baby's health are holding up during the pregnancy.

Into Fall Already

2007-10-09T16:39:00.000-07:00

My doctor's appointment today reminded me that I should write again. Since my last post, we do not have anything new to say about the baby's health or my health. Everything is still going smoothly, but I do get back aches in the evenings now. It's week 26 of the pregnancy (time does fly when I am having fun), so I'm closing in on the end of the second trimester.

People ask me routinely if we have chosen a name for our boy. Tom and I are still in discussion and it seems that the intersection between our desired sets is null. (For those of you non-math/CS types, this means that if Tom likes the name, I don't like it and if I like the name, Tom doesn't like it.) I guess we have a deadline for choosing a name, but I warn you: don't hold your breath for this announcement, as we will likely decide closer to or after the actual delivery.

I also get the question, "Where are you registered?". If you are curious about the answer, we are registered at Target (in store and Target.com) and Amazon.com. It turns out that we do not need too much gear, since my nephew is loaning us his gear, clothes, and toys. What we do need is on the registry, in addition to children's books, learning toys for 1+ years, and 1+ year clothes. If you want to shower our boy with gifts, we won't say no. But, we also welcome your visits, time, and food (after the baby is born).

We're off to northern California for the weekend to visit our friend, Meara. She has finally moved back to the west coast, working at a winery. Of course, the timing means that I can't actually drink the wine, but it will be fun to see her again. I have fall break next week and then Tom's brother is coming to visit us for Tom's birthday. It will be a busy, yet fun week for us.

I'll try to take a picture of my tummy and post it for you to see. Sorry for the delay - we have been busy with family events/parties/sports most weekends and evenings. (Tom is looking forward to actually being at home once the baby is born :)).

Little Kicks

2007-09-08T10:39:00.000-07:00

No news is good news, right? Well, that's what you can infer from my lack of posts. I had my monthly check-up this week and all is normal with the baby and me. Now, I can feel the baby kicking me almost every day, but Tom has yet to feel any movement by pressing on my stomach. The baby even woke me up one morning as I felt a jab on my belly button (I thought it was Tom, but he was sound asleep). I haven't had any ailments of pregnancy yet, other than not being able to take full breaths. I had no idea this was happening until I tried to sing at choir rehearsal on Thursday.

Tom and I are doing well. I just finished my second week of fall semester and I can't believe how fast the time has gone. I enjoy my courses and students this term. Tom is busy at work right now, trying to finish up some projects for his current team before he transfers to a different team at Qualcomm. Our pear tree certainly kept us busy before Labor Day, too. We're still making jam and we canned about 30 jars of halves.

Feeling blue

2007-08-22T11:04:00.000-07:00

No, we're not feeling sad at the moment. That's our cue to announce that we're having a...

baby boy.

We had the anatomical ultrasound yesterday and he revealed his gender. (It definitely was not the umbilical cord.) We're excited to refer to the baby as "he" instead of "it". As far as his health goes, the ultrasound did not reveal anything unusual, so that will probably be the last time we see him until the birth. Tom thinks the baby has big eyes.

Beating Fast

2007-08-09T15:40:00.000-07:00

I had my monthly appointment with the doctor today, so I was reminded to write about the baby. We again heard the baby's heartbeat and it was pounding very fast. As they say, no news is good news and so far, there are no complications with the baby or my body. The down syndrome test and my blood work came back as "normal", so there is no cause for concern at the moment. We scheduled the anatomical ultrasound in two weeks, so we hope to make the gender announcement at that time. I'll have more fun referring to the baby as "he" or "she" instead of "it".

People always ask me how I "feel", so you might be curious. As far as feeling the baby, I have not had any distinguishable movement, but I do feel something like gas bubbles (or butterflies) that is a new sensation. As far as my health goes, I am doing quite well. I feel so lucky that I have not had nausea during the pregnancy. I am starting to feel the extra weight in my back and I now have trouble sleeping on my stomach. Perhaps I'll start taking and posting belly photos for you to see. Fortunately, I can still wear my pre-pregnancy shorts, so I should make it through the summer with my seasonal wardrobe. But, I'll be weariing "new" (bigger) back-to-school clothes this fall.

First (Surprise) Baby Shower

2007-08-06T20:29:00.000-07:00

We just returned to Portland after an exciting weekend in Whidbey Island. We stayed with our former choir director and her husband (Kathy and Harry). Because we had not seen most of our church friends since we left Seattle two years ago, Kathy organized a potluck at their house on Saturday evening and invited all the old choir members. We enjoyed great food, fun, and fellowship with our friends. After dinner they surprised us with a baby shower! The baby received its very first presents from members of Edmonds Lutheran. The baby is set for sleeptime, bathtime, storytime, and waketime now. Here are some pictures of our wonderful friends.

Update

2007-07-13T10:03:00.000-07:00

I have no big news at this time, but I am now back from my three trips to Hawaii. We had our prenatal test for down syndrome on Monday and the baby looks normal. We'll know more when my blood work comes back from the lab. I thought we would have about a 10-minute ultrasound as part of the test, but we were there for over an hour. Our baby is either misbehaving already or is completely content - it would not turn to give the nurse a good view of its head and neck (apparently what they need to do the test). I just figured the baby was still on vacation from being in Hawaii. Despite two restroom breaks and laying on my side, the baby just wouldn't turn. It did plenty of jumping and waving while we watched, but no turning. Well, the nurse became frustrated and got the doctor. It took him about 10 minutes to get the measurements he needed. I would post pictures, but the nurse forgot to give them to us. Rest assured, the baby has two arms, two legs, one head, and (we think) five fingers on each hand.

First Picture

2007-06-18T20:18:00.000-07:00

Here is the first ultrasound.