3 months

My little Ethan was 3 months old on the 23rd and he has to be the smiliest boy ever! He is now a definite mummy's boy and if I walk by while he is with dad he watches my every move and if I stop and talk to him he gets so excited and kicks about and gives me the biggest open mouthed smiles. He really is a delightful little one. This month Ethan has

- Discovered his hands and sucks on them when a pacifier is not near or mummy is taking to long to feed him

- Drools, oh my goodness does he drool. This goes along with the hand sucking but it is like he is teething* there is so much drool

- Kicks about like crazy when he is talking to you and bulks out his chest trying to lean toward me to pick him up or when he is with daddy and wants to come to mummy

- Talks and squeals. I got the funniest squeal the other day, he was laying down and I held his hands and he pulled himself up and he squealed in delight, it was SO cute.

- Pulls himself straight up. At first I would lay him down and count, 1,2,3 and pull him slowly to a sitting position and now I count and he pulls straight to standing. He is so strong. People at church today were asking me how old he was he just looked so strong. Little stud!

- Laughs! FINALLY he has started to laugh, chuckle laugh. Cade was always chuckling, really fun belly laughs and now Ethan has started to do the same. Ethan is very reserved in sharing such chuckles but is ALWAYS smiling when he likes something. Lately I have been bouncing and swaying him on my knee and he smiles and gives a giggle in delight. He also loves to be pushed in to the air above my head. He really tenses and laughs at that. Just tonight I was blowing raspberries on his neck and he gave me THE BEST laughs to date! Oh how I love this chuckly stage!

- Been LOVING walks with Cade and mummy. On nice days we get out about twice a day for a walk around the block and Ethan really enjoys it. Sometimes he jabbers away and other times he is perfectly silent and I think he is alseep but not so when I hear Cade telling him, "No Ethan! Momma, Ethan is kicking me, Cade!" It is pretty hilarious.

- Gone swimming for the first time. This last week the weather was nice enough to get to the pool. Cory had 2 vacation days at the end of the week so we used these to get out as a family and went to the pool both days. The first day Ethan absolutely loved it, fell asleep in the pool even. The second day he didn't like it so much but had a bit of a paddle none the less. He is just like his big brother, total water baby

- Flirts! Ethan was totally flirting today with my friend, Hollys little girls. They love Ethan and were sitting behind us in church and Madison her 2 year old talks to him so he totally turned it on and wanted out of his seat so I stood him up and he was LEANING toward both her girls while they fussed over him. What a flirt he is!

I really do enjoy this stage, when your little one can respond with smiles, giggles and jabber. I have always found so much to love about each stage but if I could keep this stage a little longer, I would be a happy girl! I love the recognition that comes with this stage to, when they favor mummy or daddy over strangers. I love that feeding is so much more rhythmic and predictable too (for the most part).

I never will take for granted the blessings of a healthy happy child and I am so very thankful for this and all else that the Lord has blessed me with in what my boys bring to my life and all that they are and hope to be. I am so grateful to be able to be home with them to nurture and love them as no one else can, to see those little things each day that I wish I could freeze in time or have a camera handy for.

*Cade teethed from 12 weeks on... didn't get his first tooth until he was 10 1/2 months old, lets hope it's not the same for Ethan!