Half a Year

Sweet Luke,

Today, you are six months old. I can't believe you've already been around a half of a year! In one way, it's really flown by. But, in another, I can't really remember life without you.

Your daddy and I absolutely adore you. Every morning, the first thing you do when you see us is give us one of your cute smiles where your nose wrinkles up and your chin goes down toward your chest. That makes our morning. You usually wake up around 6:30. Daddy puts you in bed with us until about 7:00. Then, you're ready to nurse. I love that time with you.

You eat cereal and a small amount of carrots, squash or sweet potatoes for lunch. You eat sweet peas or green beans in the evening, along with cereal mixed with a little bit of fruit. You really love it all, except peas and peaches aren't your favorite. Your way of telling us you're full is just screaming. We know to stop then. You nurse four times a day now, 7:00, 11:00, 3:00 and 7:00. Then, your bedtime is about 8:30. You're a great sleeper. Everyone tells us how "lucky" we are, but we know that we owe it all to the training we learned in Babywise. We know that you thrive on being on a flexible schedule, and it has really paid off.

You are very laid back. All the nursery workers just LOVE you. You're happy with just about anyone, but are just now getting a little bit of separation anxiety. When you see Daddy or I leave the room, you whimper until you can see us again. When I pick you up from the nursery at church, you're starting to recognize me. The first time you really recognized me, it really hit me that I am a mommy. I loved it.

You can sit up on your own now for about 15-20 seconds, but then you wobble and tumble over. You've done a few faceplants. :) Your favorite toys are your keys and your little bug with wings that make silly noises. Lately, you've really been into jumping in your Johny Jumper in the doorway. It's sure cute to see those little legs go. Sometimes, if you're in there slightly crooked, you'll jump with the leg your leaning on, but the other leg will be still be swinging sideways in the air. I love it...it looks like you're having a hoe-down. You also love to play in your excersaucer. I keep thinking you'll get bored with it one day, but you're still fascinated with it. As much as we try, you refuse to play on your tummy. You'll just roll right to your back. Sometimes, I force you to play on your tummy, but that frustrates you after a few minutes. You love being on your back, and your feet are frequently in your mouth. When you swing, your arms go straight up to try to "catch" the mobile. It cracks us up. I think your favorite thing to do is play with your doggie Macie. She's unsure about coming too close to you because you like to pull her ears. But, she sure does make you happy. Sometimes, if you're really cranky, we will get Macie just to sit in front of you, which calms you down instantly. She also helps with your tummy time. As long as you can see her, you'll happily stay on your tummy.

You have so many people that love you. I have never seen you as tickled as you were when your Grandmommy and Grandaddy were here earlier this month. You were doing your happy scream so much, that you were actually hoarse! I can tell you really love them. Your Papa and Momo love you, too. They LOVE spending time with you. All of your aunts and uncles are crazy about you. It's been hard to have Mommy's family in California because they really miss you. They try to see you as frequently as they can, though. You love to watch your energetic cousin Maddie, and we know you'll be great buds with Cousin Mack as soon as he's old enough to play.

We can already tell that you're going to love to be outdoors. We recently put a hammock up in the backyard, and you love laying against our chest looking up at the trees. You also love all of your long walks and jogs in the stroller. I can't wait to experience fall weather with you, and Daddy already can't wait to teach you to ride a bike!

You have several nicknames already. Most of the time, we call you "Buddy boy". You've also been called "Duder", "Doodlebug", "Sweetpea", "Luker", "Little man" and lately, it's been "Chubster".

Little boy, we sure love you. You have already made our lives so much sweeter. We never knew that parenting could be so much fun. We are praying that you will come to know the Lord at an early age, and that you will understand what it means to have a relationship with Him. We know that you're going to grow into a man that loves Him more than anything. That is abundant life, sweet boy.

Happy six-month birthday, Luke. Daddy and I love you more than you could ever imagine.

Mommy