The Lugo's

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-22T19:10:00.000-08:00

It's a little late, but still had to post some pictures. Gage almost understood what the whole trick or treating was about this year, but he also thought he was supposed to go into people's houses when they opened the door too. He had a great time, and of course, loved the candy!

Gage went as a Dinosaur, and Lauren was a flower. She didn't get to go out, but I still got some cute pics.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Gage!

2009-10-28T08:35:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been three years already. Gage has blessed our lives in so many ways. He is a good boy most days and a great big brother to Lauren.
We celebrated his birthday at school with a birthday cookie, then we had his big party at Jump Zone. He had the best time. It was hard to get photos of him, because he was so busy running around. He did have one accident that caused a bloody nose, but I am sure it will be one of many. He enjoyed playing with friends from school and outside of school.

We also took him for his 3yr check up, and he's progressing on track for his age. He weighs 35lbs and is 40 in tall. We also had his tonsils looked at because he snores bad (like daddy). We are scheduled to go see an ENT doc, so we may be having our tonsils removed...I am just scared thinking about it.

Zoo Day

2009-10-20T13:46:00.000-07:00

We were lucky to get another nice day to visit the zoo before I have to go back to work. We traveled to Tulsa with Sam and Mitzi Traxson. The boys had a great time, and Lauren didn't mind either.

BIG Smile!

2009-10-20T13:41:00.001-07:00

I just had to post the biggest smile that I have been able to catch on camera. I just love the smiles and coos that I have been getting lately.

Love the Fall

2009-10-16T07:50:00.001-07:00

There hasn't been much fall weather, but still enjoying the festivities of it all. Football, pumpkins, and Halloween shopping. The weather hasn't cooperated much to bring the kids to a tailgate yet, but hope to get them to at least one. I took the kids to a pumpkin patch. Of course, Lauren slept the whole time, but Gage enjoyed it. We (mainly me) even carved a pumpkin. Not sure I would carve one like this again. It was hard work. And, finally, Gage decided he wanted to be a dinosaur this year. He has been watching the Land Before Time movie and loves it. We tried his costume on and he was making dino roars and everything. I think Lauren will be a little flower this year. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate on Halloween.

Busy Boy!

2009-10-15T10:42:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to keep Gage busy these days. He's been great with Lauren, but still don't want him to miss out on anything. He's still going to daycare everyday even though I am at home for awhile longer. He would be bored with me and the baby everyday. I took him to Bikes and Blues and he got to ride the Blues train with his friend Sam. It was his first 'real' train ride and he loved it. Then, we had our friend's, Ean, birthday party, and we got to ride a smaller train and a carousel. He had a great time. He has just started soccer. He's doing so well. I think he's definitely our little athlete. He's making momma proud.

2 month check up

2009-10-15T10:33:00.000-07:00

We went in for Lauren's 2 month check up and all is well. She weighed 10lbs 2oz and 23in long. The doc says she long and skinny. Definitley didn't get that from mommy or daddy, must be my mom's genes. She still smiling and cooing more everyday. We also did her shots that day. She didn't cry as long as I thought, so it wasn't has hard on me. Thank goodness!

Definitely brother and sister

2009-09-30T08:05:00.001-07:00

Here's photos each of Gage and Lauren about the same age. Poor Lauren didn't get as much as her brother.

Month two

2009-09-30T07:46:00.000-07:00

Lauren is now 8 weeks old, and she is still doing great. She is starting to smile more and coo. Gage continues to do great with her. I am definitely enjoying my time at home.

Already a month...

2009-09-04T08:19:00.000-07:00

I can't believe the first month has already flown by. Lauren is growing so fast. She is already 8lbs 9.5oz. She is staying awake for longer periods of time. She is also sleeping well at night. She usually wakes me up about once a night. She doesn't cry too often unless she is hungry or a belly ache. I have been blessed with two good babies.

Gage is also doing well. He's been a great big brother. He has his moments though, but it's usually when he wants to play(destroy) with her toys. He has his sweet side though. He's very concerned where she is at all times, and tries to console her when she cries. He holds her hand and tells her "it's okay."

As for momma, I am still healing, but doing much better. I am enjoying my time home and hope that it doesn't go by too fast.

Big Brother

2009-08-12T14:37:00.000-07:00

I had to post a few pictures of Gage and Lauren. Gage has been so great. He hasn't acted jealous at all. I was really worried since he was such a momma's boy, but he's been great. He's going to be a great helper for momma and daddy, and great big brother to Lauren.

She's here!!!

2009-08-10T15:49:00.001-07:00

Lauren Olivia Lugo born August 3, 2009 at 7:05 am, 7lbs 4oz, 19 in. We were scheduled for a c-section the morning of Aug 3rd, but she was planning on coming early either way. My water broke about 1:00am that morning, but luckily, she held off with any real contractions until our scheduled surgery. We stayed in the hospital for 3 days. She got a good check up despite losing a little weight. We did have to go in to the children's clinic for the next two days for weight check ups, and she finally started gaining her weight back. She had lost about 13oz since birth, so they were a little worried. She has since gained her weight back and is doing well. Thanks to everyone for their prayers and visits. Can't wait for Lauren to meet all of you.

Growing up...Moving up

2009-07-17T11:32:00.001-07:00

It's still hard for me to believe how much my little boy is growing up, but he is. He has officially been moved up to the big kid class (as he puts it). It is actually the next class up with the 3/4 yr olds. Even though he won't actually be three until October, his school decided to move him up anyway. He was the only child in his old class that was fully potty trained, and they had an opening. We also thought it would be better for him to get used to the change of a new class before the baby's arrival. It has been a hard week on me and him. I have left him crying most mornings, which is extremely hard on me, but I also know that he quits soon after I leave. He really is a big kid now!

Break out the Pink...baby shower

2009-07-07T19:46:00.000-07:00

What amazing friends that I have...Angie, Mitzi, Haley, and Ida threw us a wonderfully pink shower : ) The food was unbelievable and who could forget the yummy cake. We are so grateful for everything. We received some wonderful gifts and can't wait until she arrives. We have only 4 weeks to go, and we are almost ready. I have lots of cute outfits to get washed, so she will be totally adorable from the beginning : )

Swim Ranch 2009

2009-07-07T19:20:00.000-07:00

It was our second year at Swim Ranch, and it's been worth it. Gage improved quite a bit this year. Last year, he had just started swimming with just the buoy, and this year, the instructor kept letting air out of the buoy to make him work harder at treading water. And, at the last class, he finally was swimming without the buoy at all, but of course, dad was right there with a helping hand. I am so proud of our little guy. He definitely loves the water. Maybe, he will be the next Michael Phelps... Oh yeah, we were also lucky enough to have lots of friends join us for lessons too, which made it more fun.

Summer 2009

2009-07-07T18:39:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a really, really hot summer, especially for me. We have had some fun times with friends such as birthday parties, wedding receptions, and just hanging out. Rob is still busy traveling, and I am just preparing for baby's arrival. I hope to get some rest time in before she's here...

Baby Girl 3D pics

2009-05-25T19:47:00.000-07:00

We are at 29 weeks, and she is moving like crazy these days. We decided to go pay the extra to have the later 3D pics done just like we did with Gage. I am so glad that we did. It's amazing how much the 3D/4D has improved since we had one with Gage. She cooperated well, so we got some great shots of her. She even gave us a yawn and played peek-a-boo. It's hard to believe that we will actually get to hold her in about 10 weeks. Can't wait!!

No more diapers!?

2009-05-19T20:16:00.000-07:00

Well, I can't actually say that for long with the new baby on the way, but Gage has done so well with potty training for the past couple of weeks that I had to brag on him a bit. He did so well with the road trip during our vacation. No big accidents! And, the only accidents that he has had is being a little wet in the morning, and that was only twice. He tells us when he needs to pee ("make green") or poo poo ("make brown"). He really loves his colors, I guess. He still uses his little potty some, but will use the 'big' potty with no fight. He also finally went poo poo at school, which was a big step. So, I decided to let him wear big boy underwear to school today. And, he had no accidents. I also forgot to mention that he woke up around midnight last night and told me that he needed to potty and he did, and woke up dry. I was so suprised. All I can say is that we are so proud of our little man. It's almost bittersweet. He's becoming such a little boy.

Just more vacation pics...

2009-05-19T19:44:00.001-07:00

Vacation 09'

2009-05-18T19:23:00.000-07:00

The destination this year... Point Clear, AL. Basically, it's 40 minutes north of Gulf Shores, AL. As usual, we stayed at a Marriott Resort. It was a very nice resort. We split our road trip up into a couple of days. So, we stayed at our friend's (Ryan and Ginna) house in Memphis on the way down and back. It was good to catch up with them, and Gage got to fish for the first time. He was so excited! We will have to get him his own fishing pole now. Now, back to the resort, it was an old resort established in the 1800's. It was a huge complex right on the Mobile Bay. We had a small beach to enjoy, but Gage didn't care for the water too much, but enjoyed playing in the sand. They had a nice pond for fish and people friendly ducks that we got to feed. We spent most of your week in pool and just relaxing. The pool was perfect for Gage. We were able to relax on the sidelines while he enjoyed playing in the water. He is really coming along on his swimming skills. Who could ask for more??? Sleeping in until 9am, then a couple of hours a day at a pool, then taking an afternoon nap and finishing with a nice dinner... now, that's a vacation. Or at least, that's the way we like it.
Enjoy the pics!

Chicago

2009-04-28T19:42:00.000-07:00

We had great time in Chicago. It was a long drive there and back with Gage potty training and of course, I couldn't go long without stopping either. We had one beautiful day, so we went to the Lincoln Park Zoo. It was a very nice zoo and I suggest visiting if you are ever there, but everyone wanted to go that day too, so I definitely want to go back on a slow day. We had dinner with my long time childhood friend, Chaon and her husband, Brendan. Chaon was due the next day and actually gave birth the next day. We were not able to see them before we left, but we are very excited for them and can't wait to meet baby Cavan. We stayed at hotel with an indoor pool, so Gage got some swim time. He is still doing great. Anyway, it was a rainy couple of days during our stay, so we visited the Shed Aquarium. Gage loved to see Nemo and sharks. I am so glad that we were able to take the trip.

Potty Training II

2009-04-17T19:48:00.000-07:00

Okay, so we made a road trip to Chicago, and I was thinking it would be a total disaster with the our attempt to potty train. When actually Gage did great. He stayed in the same pull up all day. Yes, we did make many, many stops with many failed attempts, but we finally made with no accidents. We even poo'd in the potty at our hotel. I have to admit that I am so proud of my little man for doing so well with such a long road trip and with potty training. He's becoming such a big boy on us.

Potty Training

2009-04-13T19:47:00.000-07:00

I finally have to post about our potty training adventure. Yes, I mean adventure b/c everyday is something new. We really started trying about a three weeks ago, and it's just been in the last week that Gage is finally getting it. He has went the past week or so in the same pull up all day. I really give a lot a credit to his school. I think it helps to have other kids to watch and learn from. Gage gets really excited once he actually uses the potty and lets everyone he meets know that he 'goes potty, makes green!' The first time he actually pottied he said he looked green, so tells us when he goes that he's pottied and made green. I think it's quite cute. And, as long as he goes in the potty, he can call it whatever he wants : ) He does wear big boy underwear at home, but I have been adventurous enough to try outside of home yet. We are working on it. I did get the cutest pic of him in his Lightening big boy undies, but I wasn't sure if it was appropriate to post it, but you can take my word on it.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-13T19:37:00.000-07:00

We spent Easter Sunday in Eureka. Unfortunately, the weather was horrible. Very cold and rainy. But, we had a nice meal at my dad's house and were able to hunt eggs inside.

Spring?

2009-04-13T19:14:00.000-07:00

We are so ready for some spring weather. We have enjoyed some of the nice warm days that we've gotten over the past couple of weeks, but the weather keeps sneaking in a few rainy and cold days. We even planned a trip to the Tulsa Zoo, only to be disappointed, but we were still able to enjoy the day at the new aquarium in Jenks. Plus, Gage enjoyed just being with his friends.

Baby Update

2009-04-12T19:08:00.000-07:00

We had our official ultrasound at 21 weeks with our doctor. And, it's officially a girl! We are very excited about welcoming a baby girl. Everything is going as scheduled. She is growing right on track, and I feel her moving and kicking on a daily basis. She's about the size of a papaya now and about 13 ounces. We are currently scheduled for a c-section on Aug 3rd.

March Birthdays

2009-03-29T19:01:00.001-07:00

There are a lot of birthdays this month. We wish everyone that celebrated a birthday a very happy new year. We helped our friend's little boy, Jackson, celebrate his 2nd birthday. Gage had a great time at the party and loved the cake (as usual).

Baseball Season is here!

2009-03-17T18:59:00.000-07:00

The weather is starting to warm up, so that means it's time for baseball!! We've only been able to attend one game so far this year. But, we met some friends at the game, and Gage had a blast. We hope to attend many more.

Busy couple of months...

2009-03-17T18:48:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I haven't posted in awhile. No excuses, really. So, a quick catch up from the past couple of months. We have had a couple of birthday parties that we've been able to attend. We have went to some basketball games. And, no one could forget the BIG ice storm. So, here's just some pics to catch everyone up on.

Future Big Brother Gage

2009-01-13T10:39:00.001-08:00

I know this isn't such big news anymore, but I still needed to post Gage in his big brother shirt. He wore his shirt on Christmas Day to make the announcement to our family. I think Gage will be an amazing big brother. I am sure Charlie can give him some tips : ) We look forward to the new addition to our family. We are due August 9th. And, we can't wait to find out what we are having, so be looking for updates.

Christmas 2008

2009-01-12T19:29:00.000-08:00

Well, Christmas wasn't as much fun as we had hoped this year. We just didn't get as much family time as we would have hoped. Gage came down with 'flu-like' symptoms that weekend before, and Rob and I were lucky enough to get some of those symptoms during Christmas. We still manage to do the big Santa surprise for Gage. He loved all of his gifts. In fact, he would have been happy with one gift. He wasn't too interested in opening the gifts. He would open one and want to play with that one toy right then and there, but we still were able to get them all opened.

Long time, No post

2009-01-12T19:21:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I know it's been awhile since I have posted, but I am sure everyone was busy with month of December. So, I will be hoping to get caught up sometime this week.
Since we are starting with December, and before Christmas posts, I will say that we took a chance on Gage and took him to his first full feature film at the movie theater. We took him to see Bolt. The reason we picked Bolt was because they had a Mater short film. He loves the movie Cars, so he didn't move through that. We even got him his own popcorn. He did really well through most of the movie, but there's always those slow moments in any movie, and he got a little bored, but he still made it through with no major disturbances. We will probably try it again soon, and hopefully, before Cars 2 comes out in 2012.

Sea World

2008-12-02T20:05:00.000-08:00

We were hoping that Sea World would be more fun than the aquariums that we have visited, but it just didn't seem the same. Gage still enjoyed it, but it's probably not something that we would do again. You just couldn't visit the animals like you could at the aquariums.

More Disney

2008-12-02T20:03:00.000-08:00

Like you can't get enough... I had to post the video when they lit up Cinderellas castle. It was actually very beautiful. I also had some pics of Gage in his Mickey hat.

More Disney Pics

2008-12-02T19:38:00.001-08:00

Disney World

2008-11-30T19:26:00.000-08:00

Of course, Gage was a little young to really enjoy all that DW has to offer, but he still had a great time. This was my fourth time and Rob's third, but our first time together and with a child. It was a whole new experience for us. Gage did really well though. His favorites were the train ride around the park, and the carousel. We rode the carousel about six times that day. I can't wait to take him again when he really can enjoy more and remember...

Busy month of November...

2008-11-29T19:20:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in awhile, because it's been a busy month. It's been lot of fun though. We enjoyed Charlie Graves 2nd Birthday, and we also had the opportunity to go to Orlando. We had to drive for one of Rob's shows there. Gage did so well on the 18 hour drive. I don't know how our parents ever traveled without a portable DVD player : ) We also got to play a lot. We went to Disney World and Sea World. Gage really loved both. Pictures to follow...

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-04T19:34:00.000-08:00

Well, I was hoping that this year would be more fun for Gage, but it seems that the 'terrible two tantrums' have taken over . He had quite a fit before we actually went trick or treating, so he didn't get to enjoy it as much as I would have hoped. Charlie, Sam and Henry did enjoy it and looked very cute in their costumes. Charlie and Gage were obviously cowboys, Sam was a frog, and little Henry was a chili pepper.

Dallas Aquarium

2008-11-04T19:20:00.000-08:00

Gage and I went to the aquarium by ourselves while Daddy had to work. He really did enjoy the aquarium. I think he would have spent hours watching the otters play. He was even calling them, "otters...otters" It was very cute.

Dallas Trip

2008-11-03T20:18:00.000-08:00

Rob had a show in Dallas, and Gage and I were lucky enough to make the trip with him for some quality family time. Gage did well on the road trip, but we also brought our portable DVD player with the Cars movie. I think he would watch that movie 24/7 these days. Anyway, we took Gage to the zoo and the aquarium, and Mommy also enjoyed some shopping. Gage loved the penguins at the zoo and the otters at the aquarium. I think we both prefered the aquarium over the zoo.

Tailgate

2008-11-03T19:43:00.000-08:00

Although, the outcome of the game was not what I wanted, we did get to tailgate with our great friends.

Boys!

2008-11-03T19:13:00.000-08:00

The pictures say it all, well, at least some of it. We went to the Graves to watch a football game, and the boys decided to get really silly. They were hiding in Charlie's closet then all running out and screaming then manage to tackle each other. You really had to be there to know how funny it really was.

Birthday Presents

2008-11-03T18:54:00.000-08:00

The party was such a hit and Gage was so worn out afterwards that we waited for the next day to open up his presents. He was a little more interested in opening presents this year, but once he opened one, he instantly wanted to play with it. So, it was a slow process, but he loved it all. He actually loved a musical birthday card that he got more than the actual present...silly boy : )

Happy Birthday Gage!

2008-11-02T18:34:00.000-08:00

I can hardly believe it myself. Gage is 2 years old! He still amazes me everyday. He is learning so much so fast. We had a big birthday party for him with lots of friends and family. We decided to have his party at Fun City, so it was lots of fun for him and less mess for us to clean up at home.

First Concert

2008-10-16T18:46:00.000-07:00

We took Gage to his first real concert with a true artist, Willie Nelson. My office brought Willie to town for a special concert. Gage had a good time. Not sure if he is ready to be roadie just yet though...

Bikes, Blues, and BBQ

2008-10-02T19:19:00.000-07:00

It was the annual BBB weekend in Fayetteville. Gage was amazed at all of the bikes in town, so we decided to take him down to Dickson one day. He was thrilled at all of the bikes and the noise that they made. We met the Graves family, so I was able to capture some cute pics of the boys that day.

Just growing up

2008-09-26T21:56:00.000-07:00

It amazes me how fast Gage is really growing up. He has such a personality, and it really shows more now that he is talking so much. For example, I fixed him dinner the other night and he just looked at it, then looked at me and said, "I don't like it" I was shocked yet kind of humored by it. He is all boy too. He loves cars. He could spend hours just playing with his matchbox cars. We have been to another tailgate, and of course, he is happy as long as he has a car with him. We also bought a bike stroller, so he could ride along when we go bike riding. So, anyway, here's some pics from the past couple of weeks.

It wasn't Austin, but still had fun

2008-09-26T19:42:00.000-07:00

Okay, it's been awhile since my last post, but obviously, we did not go to Austin. But, we still decided to take a weekend away with our friends, James and Angie Graves and Mike and Haley Graves. We took a road trip to Memphis and Tunica. We still had a great time!

Gage Campaigns

2008-09-09T19:25:00.002-07:00

Here's a picture of Gage campaigning for his Grandpa. My dad, David Stoppel, is running for State Representative for District 91, which covers Carroll and a section of Boone County.

Another close game...

2008-09-09T19:25:00.001-07:00

We had a watch party at our house last weekend for the AR vs ULM game on pay per view. I can't say it was worth the money, but at least, we won. We had several friends over and Gage had friends to play with also. He was pretty worn out afterwards, as you can see.

We also had lunch with my cousin, Elayna and her family. Her son, Garrett, loves playing with Gage. They make quite a pair!

Football Season is Here!!

2008-09-02T21:37:00.000-07:00

Yea, we have been looking forward to this all summer long. Well, we enjoyed the summer, but we are now ready for some cooler weather and some good college football games. It was a close one on Saturday for the Hogs, but they pulled it out. Gage got to tailgate some with us, and he enjoyed playing with his friends, Charlie and Sam. I also got some good photos of the new football field. It looks great with the classic hog painted on it.

Rob's 35th Birthday

2008-09-02T19:37:00.001-07:00

I planned a birthday party for my loving husband this past weekend at Grub's on Dickson. I believe he had a good time, but I will let the pictures speak for themselves. Thanks to everyone that were able to join us!

ELMO LIVE!

2008-08-25T21:41:00.000-07:00

Okay, I had to do a separate post just for Elmo. We joined the Graves family for the Elmo Live show in Ft Smith. Gage was a bit scared at first, but quickly realized what was going on and enjoyed it as you can tell by his big smiles!

Very Eventful Weekend...

2008-08-25T21:30:00.000-07:00

Well, the title says it all... Friday evening started with a 101.2 fever, so I had to go pick Gage up early from school. He quickly broke it and was feeling like himself later than evening. Saturday started out like most, we went to tumbling class that morning. Gage had a blast until the end when the kids get to enjoy the foam pit... not sure how it happened, but Gage dislocated his wrist/arm. Needless to say, it really freaked me out! Without too much detail, his arm did not look right. I was lucky to get it back in place without even trying. He was not crying as much as you would think, but he quickly quit after it had been put back in place. I hope that it never happens again. After we assessed that he was going to be okay, we went to the next stop for the day. Razorback pictures with Charlie Graves. Neither boy was really interested, but we are hoping for a few good ones. We quickly took the boys home for good nap after that. So, after a good long nap, we visited the Graves family to let the boys play along with Sam Traxson. Then, we decided to take the boys to Chuck E Cheese. Gage had never been, but he loved it! I have included some photos from that day.

The Next Michael Phelps...

2008-08-18T21:50:00.000-07:00

Well, not exactly, but I thought he did pretty well this year. I wanted to share some video of Gage swimming at Swim Ranch this year.

Swim Ranch Graduation

2008-08-17T20:55:00.000-07:00

I wanted to congratulate our big boys, Gage and Charlie for a job well done this year in swimming lessons. I can't wait to see what they learn next year.

Summer 2008

2008-08-14T19:23:00.001-07:00

Although, it is still summer. The weather is starting to cool off and football season is just around the corner. We have had a great summer. Gage has been taking tumbling classes and swimming lessons, both of them with his best friend, Charlie Graves. We have also had the chance to take a week's vacation to Clearwater Beach, FL where my high school friend, Heather, lives with her lovely family. We had a great visit and I had a chance to catch up with Heather. We also had the pleasure of catching up with my dear friend, Stacey, who just moved back to the states from Japan with her family. I have posted some pics of summer fun!

Finally!

2008-08-14T19:23:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have finally created a blog site. We already have a my space account, but I thought this would give me a chance to post more pics of Gage and let you know what the family has been up too.