The Stevenson Ohana: 2019

Sunday, December 29, 2019

Luke Lately

Just a few quotes lately from my favorite two year old:

- (While eating minestrone soup, that had peas)
Luke: "Look mom, a baby watermelon!"
(We obviously don't eat enough peas in our home.

“Let’s laugh about it” .... “fake laugh together”

- (while singing “I am a child of God”)
“With parents KIND-OF dear!”

-(after dropping toe in his foot)
“Ohh my toe! My toe! My toe is soo worried!”

- (While pulling the beanie over his eyes)
" It's too sunny"

- (Running laps back and forth in house)
Mom: "Luke, how did you get so fast?"
Luke: "NIKES"
(funny thing, he wasn't even wearing shoes).

- (Luke LOVES ice, but prefers the "sonic" type ice. At a restaurant with huge chunky ice. "Cut the ice, peeze"

Mom: Luke... what do you want from konbini (7-11)?
"RICE!" (everytime, kid request a rice ball for a "snack")

- I was putting him to bed and told him we need to pray. . .
Luke: "I am FULL of praying"
(He says he is "full" when he is done eating/doesn't want to eat. . . so didn't want to pray).

- Luke wanted to eat all 7 yogurts (kid loves yogurt, and they are miniature in japan)
Mom: "Can we save a yogurt for dad please"
Luke: "Not save for dad, save for a smoothie. Not Dad."

Mom: "Luke take this diaper to the trash please"
Luke: (looking at it in disgust) "No, I'm scared!"

Dad: "helloo..."
Luke: "I'm not charles" (Riley says "hello charles way too often... for fun)

Luke: "I want sushi!!!!!!!"
(not too many two year old pick sushi over french fries and hamburgers)

Luke: (tapping my belly) "Mom's belly getting big! Baby coming soon!"

first vending machine hot chocolate of the season!

Saturday, December 28, 2019

December Magic & Christmas!

This is officially our THIRD Christmas we have spent in Japan (4 total living here, but one Christmas was spent in America). It has been the best one yet!! The weeks leading up to Christmas 'felt magical' too-- filled with john legend, gingerbread houses, sugar cookies, and we got our first ever Christmas TREE as a married couple (that isn't made up of paper stuck on the wall ha!) Luke was way more into it, and understood more about Santa coming and Christ's birth.

It has been a great month! December is still late "fall" and no chance or snow in Tokyo but was great and loved the crisp air. Lots of good memories this month and thought I would just unload my camera roll from this month here. . .

This month we made sugar cookies 3 times! We consumed way too much sugar this month.

"I'm going to bite his head off!"

Window Christmas Shopping. . .

Actual Christmas shopping. . . This was the only moment he wasn't running around the store. Why don't they have real shopping carts here.

Kenny Stoker and Luke (Gingerbread House Making Activity)

"Mr. Waffles" (one of our favorite stops at train station. Hot waffles!)

Christmas Party with the Rich and Stocker Family!

Ward Christmas Party!

Christmas Eve

Bed head and tired eyes. Christmas morning!

Luke always wake up around 7, except Christmas morning when we tell him Santa came and he rolls over and sleeps in until 8

Christmas lunch = sushi

Monday, December 23, 2019

Dear Luke

Dear Luke,

Today you came and curled up next to me. I was sitting on the couch and you said you wanted to sleep and laid against my belly and just closed your eyes. You never nap, so this is very rare. Now, you are in my arms fast asleep, and I can’t seem to get up and move you to bed and just want to hold you forever.

This next month will bring a lot of change. I look down at you and my growing belly (with your soon-to-be-born brother inside) and think about how different our lives are about to be when he arrives. For the past 31 months, its just been the two of us during the day and been the happiest days, I love being a mom! I’m so, so excited for your brother and for you to have a buddy to play with... but also think of how much I will miss these simpler days. Our life lately is full of games, dance parties on the 6X4 foot rug in our living room, playing “cars,” cooking together, dishes together, walks everywhere doing errands, and your beloved park sessions.

As your brother’s due date approaches, I can’t help but reflect on your birth and get anxiety thinking about doing it again. Your dad describes it as a ‘scene from an intense movie,’ I really do think I have some PTSD from it... over a week long of inducing and dressed up ready for the emergency c-section and then at the final moments you come down and the Japanese nurse telling me “no voice, just push!” Then you arrive and I didn’t hold you for days, you spent the first two weeks in the NICU. I knew everything was going to be okay, but feels like a bad dream.

I look at you though, and even as that baby in the NICU, and am so full of love and would do it over and over again for you and more than worth it. That brings me comfort now.

Our life is about to change little buddy! But I read a quote somewhere that said: “You WILL love them the same, despite your fear. Your heart doesn’t split, but doubles in size.”

I love you so much Luke! You say the funniest things all day long, and constantly bringing a smile to my face. I hope you know that and will never stop loving you. You are stirring now in sleep, and I'm ready to make the most of these last days together as 'an only child.'

Love,

Mom