This handsome fella is three whole months old today! Where oh where has the time gone?? He’s just plugging right along, being the sweetest most undemanding little boy while other, unspecified siblings command all mommy’s attention. I just love my little man more than I know how to put into words and I know I say this every month, but I’m just so blessed to get to be these babies momma. So, this month:

Miracles happened! I put this child down, and…….. there was silence! Cooing even! which is even better than silence! It was like a different baby appeared and I will forever love that fussy boy of last month but my my my… having several seconds of my own arms back makes such a tremendous difference.

I still think this poor babe has some sad tummy issues because there is always a reason he’s fussing. I’ll either pick him up and he’ll immediately soak us both or the GIANT *dry* (thank the heavens) burp will come forth or something. I know he’s trying to communicate in the only way he knows how so let’s celebrate the little things shall we? This month, I rarely (if ever? can it be??) woke up in a giant puddle of wet. SO although the spitting up is nowhere near being done, it has gotten incrementally better! And for that I am so so happy. If you don’t have a baby that spits up, allow me to explain. We are not talking about a small dribble here or there. I’m talking full on wardrobe change for all parties several times throughout the day. Unless you like sitting in sour, wet drenched clothes, which I’ve actually come to terms with after having not one, but two babies that love to give back to the community at an early age. Yesterday he went through six outfits. Some days, he wants to be held all day so into his baby carrier he goes, shuffling around the house with mommy as I attempt to bring order to the chaos. Every time I bend over to pick something up, I’ll hear *SPLAT* and sure enough giant puddles are all over the floor. Some days, Bentley likes to join in and starts puking all over the house too. You just have to smile because COME ON. It’s like everyone got into that bottle of ipecac we don’t have and someone’s going to jump out of the closet and tell me I’m on candid camera. Sometimes. I think that’s by far the hardest thing for me, but baby Luke… you are so worth every single piece of ruined clothing. I’ll hold back your hair foreverandever sweet boy :)

BECAUSE under all that regurgitated milk is a boy with the sweetest smile I’ve ever seen! I’m not kidding when I say it melts me. I literally have to close my eyes – I can’t take all that cuteness in! They’re biggest first thing in the morning and that goodness usually will get me through a good portion of the day :) BABY SMILES. I wish they never had to go.

He loves to have your full attention in a very non demanding way… he just sort of lights up when you lock onto him and he’ll talk and smile and smile and smile and I don’t know why I don’t just spend the majority of my day looking at him. Stupid never ending chores.

He loves to be held. He will cry and cry and cry and as soon as you pick him up, he’ll be out. Like, that was all I wanted! OR if he gets really worked up, once you pick him up, he’ll let out the saddest but sweetest final cry of exhaustion and be so content immediately. He’s just the best. Sometimes I look around at the little messes that seem to be breeding all over my house, and think, I COULD CLEAN THIS SO FAST if I just had both my arms and no one strapped to me! but everyone says it- this baby time… it goes by so freakin fast and that little cry of happiness to finally be in momma’s arms… I hope I can always hear it in my head because it’s just the best.

Umm, this kid is tolerant. Abbie’s foot comes into contact with his face multiple times a day. Not in a kicking way… more of the easiest way to go around brother is obviously over him sort of way. He just keeps minding his own business, looking around at the giant human flailing herself through the air above him. Seriously to say he’s tolerant is a big understatement.But then there’s the witching hour. I never knew what people were talking about when Abbie was a baby. But now… well it’s just amazing the difference between 7 and 7:15. One day Greg said he was going to be home at 7:15. I try to do my best to make a happy home for him to come home to – I like having all the candles lit (we go through a lot of candles), dinner made, and the house in a semi decent state etc so I’m busy trying to get dinner on the table (let’s not forget how much my kitchen and I don’t get along) and Abbie, now realizing she too can contribute to said hour, starts to scream at the top of her lungs and fling herself onto the floor, Luke starts screaming and kicking in his little carrier but no no no does NOT want to be put down DON’T YOU DARE PUT ME DOWN and my mind is trying to read some recipe and not burn all the things, just counting down the seconds till Greg is home. 7:15 comes. No Greg. I figure any minute any minute! And try to calm the babies before he walks through the door. After all, the house was so so peaceful just moments before! Finally I decide to just sit on the floor while something is sautéing and hold these needy babies of mine till he comes home. 7:20…7:25… they are escalating…. I try calling him but it goes straight to voicemail… look on find my friends and no location can be found. Now I start thinking, oh you know, he’s dead and this is my life now.. .but not really, I just get mad that everything is spinning out of control and YOU SAID 7:15! So I put the food in the warming drawer and pull on it in a less than graceful way, that old drawer shoots out and slams my finger against the butcher block which hurt so curse words bad… naturally I start crying, both kids are screaming and my beloved walks through the door. He looks around at his sobbing family and asks, what happened? in the way only these sweet men are capable of, and I sob, YOU’RE LATE. So yes, those 15 minutes make all the difference ;) This happens on a pretty regular basis these days ;) lots of slamming cabinets and such. Turns out the witching hour is more me than them! haha I think by that time my tolerance level is at an all time low so thank the Lord for husbands. Thank. The. Lord.

MOVING ON he loves diaper changes. He’ll be so sad and as soon as I start the changing process, he calms right down. It’s fun to figure out all his special quirks ;)  Running in place is another one. Greg will say, I’VE TRIED EVERYTHING HE WON’T STOP CRYING to which I always ask if he tried running in place. Works every time. He’s helping me lose my baby weight and my mind simultaneously.

I’m making him sound so high maintenance ;) and now that I think about it… maybe he is? But when his tummy isn’t hurting and therefore isn’t fussing or spitting up copious amounts of sour liquid, he’s just the SWEETEST boy I’ve ever met! Just loves looking around, enjoying life. AND a couple nights ago he slept a full 8 hours at night so points there. We sure love you, Luke! Happy three months baby boy :)

Oh you dear second child, you. I always think I’ll remember each thing but that has yet to be the case. Ever. In any area of my life. I do remember another month of more spit up than you could ever imagine. And a boy that never wanted to be put down. Until yesterday… you let me put you down for like a full 5 minutes without even a whimper of protest and it was as if the clouds opened up and God said, I love you, Hillary. They say your brain has a huge growth spurt around these weeks so the extra fussiness is an expected thing. They say. On that note, this would be a more accurate second month picture.
As I recall, Abbie’s second month picture had red swollen eyes too…
It obviously must be a thing. And now we know. Anyways, you finally went to your *one* month check up today and she just held you close and whispered “he’s perfect.” I could tell she didn’t want to put you down cause she kept taking big whiffs of your head and telling me over and over how good you smell. (I was very glad I wiped you down before because well, that just isn’t always the case.) I’m making this sound very creepy but it was actually very sweet. You are the strongest standing little boy as evidenced here. Yee! I just love that picture. Your dad likes to point out you have neck rolls even while looking up. And you do, and it’s the best! You’re so goofy and sweet and just go along with everything. Your sister gives you about a million kisses a day. As soon as she sees you, she squeals “baby!” and her voice gets high and sweet and she smiles and gets as close to you as possible and pats you and I’m just in the corner melting and barking something about not poking your eyes. You love to suck on your entire hand. I keep trying to see if you’ll take a pacifier but you don’t seem too thrilled with it. Possibly because it’s pink with flowers. YOU SMILE. And it’s the most wonderful thing since sliced bread. Oh baby Luke. You’re just the sweetest of the fussy boys and I love you to bits! Thank you for all the midnight cuddles and side smirks at your mommas lame jokes. You’re the best and I’m so thankful that you’re mine. I sure love you, sweet boy!

We did it! We kept two babies alive for a whole 31 days!!! Holy cow where does the time go?? This little guy is one month old today and is making my mommy heart swell with pride at every little thing he does. Oh? You hear that high pitched scream? No you didn’t step on the cat, that is my son and I love him so. Oh you just changed his diaper and he immediately filled it every. single. time? …That’s ma boy! Oh you think he’s small? Here, watch him stand with those mighty legs. I can’t tell you how full my heart is these days. I just love this little family of mine and this boy, well he’s just extra special.

Ok so, so far, he’s been a lot like Abbie except oh man, those first couple of days… so. much. poop. And it was weird and chalky and went everywhere. I swear it bounced. And sometimes there was shooting pee included. He’d shoot himself in the face, us in the face… it was a mess. I literally could not figure out how to change him without making the biggest mess imaginable. I had to google it. Literally. And none of their tricks worked  no matter what I tried but we seem to have gotten some sort of system down because Abbie’s back to being the “not it” child. Toddler poop, man. That’s a whole nother ballgame. Enough about poop. Moving on.

My kids and their necks. My goodness. This guy came out of the womb, was placed on my chest, popped that head up and then turned it from side to side for a good while there while I placed my eyeballs back into their sockets. Seriously, he is so strong. He started pushing off me while on my lap like on week two, can stand for several seconds just by holding my hands, and just the other day, on August 21st to be exact, he rolled from his belly to his back like a freakin superbaby. Not kidding. Who is this mighty man!? I think God gave him an extra dose of strength cause he came out so tiny ;) That was one of the reasons changing his diaper was so hard… you just try prying those little legs apart. Small but mighty, that one.

Oh he’s just the sweetest little guy – so mellow, loves to sleep all morning and well into the afternoon, is a total snacker, sleeper, snacker and loves to be worn preferably all day, every day. Except, sometimes he gets a bubble and it sounds like the tea kettle is going off… this boy, bless his soul, has the highest cry I’ve ever heard. I’ve mistaken him for a screaming woman, and definitely on more that one occasion thought that I accidentally sat on the cat… but no. It’s just my adorable son, Luke. He sure knows how to make my heart smile.

He must have found out Abbie was whooping him in the spitting up department in her day, and upped his game. We’ve had two major spitter uppers here, folks. It’s like the forever splash zone.

He has the sweetest quivering lip, is ridiculously alert, loves that head to be as far back as possible to take in as much as possible, smiles in his sleep, and is beyond tolerant with his dear older sister who loves to smother him with kisses and her self. Sometimes I wonder if she’s actually trying to kill him. But I think she likes him… I really think so?

Oh Luke Blane Nettles, we sure are glad you got put in our family. We love you so much sweet boy! HAPPY ONE MONTH!