Friday evening, as we celebrated Luke’s 9th birthday, Tim looked at him and said, “It felt like you were 8 forever.” Everything seemed to last forever in 2020, no?
Now Luke is officially 9! I’ll say it every year, no matter how cliché it sounds: where did my baby go? 
From my pregnancy to breastfeeding challenges, I’ve documented a lot of Luke’s life on this blog. Every year I love reading all of the birthday posts and remembering what he was like that year and where I was in my motherhood journey.
Luke enjoyed a tall chocolate chip cookie cake on his 9th birthday
I hope you enjoy the updates as much as I enjoy writing them (and looking back on them!).
And here we are at 9. There’s something different about 9 year olds and I like it. It’s that in-between stage. Outgrowing toys, striving towards independence, but not yet at the stage where they don’t want to be with their parents as much. (We are there with the 12 year old)
Meghan and Luke after Luke’s First Holy Communion
At 9, Luke still looks up to his big sister Meghan more than anyone in the world, even if he’d never admit that. They fight a lot, but it almost always stems from Luke trying to get her attention and hang out with her when she’s not in the mood for her little brother.
At 9, Luke is curious, sometimes sweet and sometimes feisty, still dislikes being the center of attention, and is a well-rounded kid. Once in a while I catch him at a moment when he’ll let me take a picture, but it’s still not his favorite thing.
In 2020 he played tennis, golf, basketball, and baseball. During quarantine in the spring he discovered he loved pogo sticking and went from being able to get 3 jumps in a row the first time he tried it to over 3,000 by summer time. That’s dedication!
Tennis is his current favorite sport, but he loves reading and learning as much as any other activity.
It’s been a year of growth for Luke. I noticed him getting braver, less scared, and more willing to try new things. 
Luke has also become a great big brother to our new puppy, Benny. When we got Benny right at the end of February, Luke was very hesitant around him and afraid to touch him too much or get too close. 
A blurry iPhone picture is the best I have of tiny Benny, but isn’t he cute?!
Over time, Luke has gotten so much more comfortable and helps take care of Benny. 
Speaking of growth…he also outgrew coming into our bed in the middle of the night!
Finally.
For good this time.
Yes, this is very much worth noting.
When we got Benny, I told Luke Benny would need me in the middle of the night and we didn’t want Luke waking him up if he came in to our room. That’s all it took! He hasn’t been in our room once since we got the puppy. Hooray for better sleep!
2020 has been a hard year for everyone, but this kid got through like a champ and we couldn’t be more proud of him. Happy birthday to you, Luke Dawson!
And remember, no matter how old you get, you’ll always be my baby.
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If you like reading birthday updates, here are previous updates from Luke’s birthdays:
Still remember when he was born. I love following along for his growth. Sounds like a great year of growth for him. Happy birthday to your baby. Hooray for better sleep!
Thank you for following along, Kelli. <3