Luka goes to Oxford - July 2011

Luka traveled to Oxford with mommy, daddy and the whole extended family in July for mommy's graduation.  We had a fun-filled trip full of hikes, punts, pubs and other activities.  Luka spent the majority of his days in his Ergo baby carrier, or arms of eager friends.

The whole family outside our rented house in Oxford
15 July 2011

A trip to Oxford would not be complete without a visit
to "Kings Arms! Kings Arms!"

Luka enjoying the Turf Tavern during daylight hours,after
being tossed out the night before...silly laws. 

Loving the train ride to Edinburgh!

About an hour before the Graduation Ceremony at Kellogg
College 16 July 2011

View of the graduation ceremony to which Luka was
not allowed, fortunately aunts and uncles are wonderful
things who took care of him at the pub!

The night after graduation at the New College formal

Niggie Hannah comes to visit!

Luka and Hannah having a little chat about the erratic
Cape weather and the Springboks' performance
against the Kiwis - 22 Aug 2011

Luka had the distinct pleasure of hosting his niggie (cousin) Hannah this weekend.  While she is technically not his cousin since she is the adorable daughter of Susan's cousin Susan (yes, you read that right, there are four of us as a matter of fact), we figured it is way too complicated to come up with "first-removes" or "second" anythings, and have therefore decided in the interest of simplicity, they will be known as 'cousins'.

Hannah Carol 21 Aug 2011

Hannah is a beautiful six-month old baby-girl who could have loaned some of her gestational time to Luka since she decided to make her mommy wait a whole two weeks longer before gracing them with her presence!  She is a babbling, porridge-eating, 12-hour a night sleeping cutie-pie!

Luka's reaction when Hannah told him that he won't be
getting a cool stroller like hers!

Luka turns five months old!

21 Aug - Luka en 'boetie' Sebastian who likes to say "MY Luka"

Indeed, I look at Luka this morning as we do our ritual 'breastfeeding with a view' from the bedroom we still share here in Scarborough in the Western Cape, and I ask myself....where has the time gone?  Our little man is actually five months old today (though to keep things complicated is still only considered a 3-month old).

In his short life he has traveled through Australia, South Africa, England, Dubai, Singapore and Scotland by air, train, bus, punt, car and infant carrier . He has acquired an Australian birth certificate, South African and American passports; flown more than 50 hours; been thrown out of a bar; visited by a police officer; had emergency surgery; acquired multiple $1,000 + a piece vaccinations; was baptized next to a Springbok rugby player, and most importantly quit his dummy cold turkey for his five-month birthday, in lieu of the newly discovered phenomenon *the fist*!  Way to go little guy!

We love you and we love everyone in the world who has loved you, cared for you, sent you presents, and most importantly, prayed for you.

Breaking News: Luka Sleeps for a Six!

Those familiar with the gentlemen's game of cricket would know that scoring a six is the single highest score that can be attained from a single delivery to a ball, if that ball crosses the boundary without bouncing first.  The six runs are automatically added to the batsman's score, and the ball is dead.  Well, for parents of infants, you will also know that scoring a six in sleeping is a huge milestone, as it generally means you surpassed the witching hour of approximately 1am without having to get up, feed, and pray that the bub goes back to sleep instead of squealing in excitement for having caught a glimpse of his tired mommy's face in the nightlight.  And so it is that our lovely Luka did just that last night!  When we fed at 22:00, he went straight back to sleep, and didn't stir until, get this, 03:58....!!  I am loathe to admit that his daddy woke up at 1am, 2am and 3am to check and saw that he was peacefully asleep...as was his mommy.

Way to go Luka! 

We're Back!

Birds' eye view of Luka in his Ergo Baby on his daily
hike Scarborough beach - 2 August 2011

Well, to say that we have been *busy* might be the understatement of the century!  Since writing last, Luka has jetted off to the UK to attend his mommy's graduation from Oxford, followed by a fabulous trip to gorgeous Edinburgh with uncle Jason and aunt Sarah before they head back to Washington DC.  One of the questions that everyone asks is 'how is Luka with flying' and I am happy to report - he is an expert flyer  - which is a good thing, since we calculated by the time he reaches Timor-Leste in September, he will have flown 70+ hours (too bad he is not eligible for frequent flyer miles yet :)

I will endeavor to update the blog over the next few days with photos (which I will post on the date with which they correspond, so please scroll down to see new photos).

The most important thing is that Luka was at his pediatrician yesterday who is just amazed at his progress and development.
Currents Stats:
5.10kg, or nearly 11lbs4oz.
59cm or 23inches

The doctor was especially surprised at how much he not only smiles, but audibly laughs.  He is also a pretty avid 'talker' now with loads of "cooohs" "Eeeeeew"'s! and some other fabulous shrieks.  Of course, all this voice training has also led to a much more convincing cry!

Please bear with me as I update the photos, and most importantly, enjoy these new precious images of our little man!

A New Nappy Affair

Since returning from our international travels with Luka, Chris and I were obviously in withdrawals from lack of guests and flights to catch, so we thought we would complicate matters by trying out a new cloth nappy for Luka.  Considering that he will go through between 5,000-6,000 nappies in his first two years alone, no one can tell me washing 20 odd cloth nappies is not much better than the mountain of plastic in the landfill.  Add to that the research indicating children in cloth nappies potty train earlier, and the exorbitant costs of obtaining these imported goods on our tiny island home of Timor-Leste, we figure we had to at least give it a try.

Luka models the 100% pure Bamboo 'Nature Nappy' in beige

Of course choosing a cloth nappy is about as straightforward as choosing a smart phone (type: cloth nappies into Google and see for yourself!).  I decided that trying the product on first was critical, so I had to find something local here in South Africa.  Quite soon I stumbled on Mother Nature Products, home of the 100% Organic Bamboo Nature Nappy.  What makes the nappies great is not only the fabric, but that they are in the shape of shorts with easy to fasten buttons that adjust as the baby grows bigger.  So no need for pin pricks and folding lessons, though I know a couple who raised all three there boys on good 'ol white cloth nappies and swears by them!  Chris actually picked up a starter pack a few months back, but with Luka in and out of hospital and then with guests, we did not have the energy to make the switch.

Yesterday however I decided to take one for a test drive and am happy to report that despite being slightly bulky on his small bum still, they nappy was very absorbent and with the breathable liner over the outside, also did not leak.  We have admittedly not experienced a BamPOO in the Bamboo yet, since I only have two trial nappies which were being washed while Mr. Luka did his business.

A pro-cloth nappy friend mentioned that we would need about 20- 30 nappies, and since these don't come cheap I think we'll test drive them a bit more before we make a final decision - I would love any comments/suggestions if anyone else made the switch!

With the waterproof liner