Hey guys, today I come to you during holy hour.

I should tell you, there's a whole variety of "hours" around here these days. First, there's a new kind of happy hour -- usually at 5AM as opposed to the pm, when Duke wakes up for the day, gets a diaper change and eats and he's just excited to be alive. He's happy and smiley and it's so wonderful and fun.  Then, just a few short hours later, we hit crazy hour, usually right around 10am when Duke is all "I don't need a nap but I do need you to hold me until I fall asleep because actually I'm exhausted" and I'm already running on coffee fumes so we're both crying. Then there's holy hour, during his afternoon nap, when he's out for a solid three hours. Hallelujah. Next comes witching hour, at which time he's fussy for no discernible reason (google it, that one I didn't actually make up - it's a thing.) Then we do crazy hour again around 9pm when it's time to go the fuck to sleep.

And I want to elaborate that the other hours of the day are presently filled with lots of fun because Dukers can smile now, and it's so precious. We officially do playtime and it is a delight.

Anyway, it's holy hour right now because baby bear has been knocked out for a full hour and I am officially, finally, in clothes I haven't been wearing since yesterday. I'm also currently spit-up free, but that's a limited engagement. Holy hour wraps up pretty quick, you know?

Anyway, here's what we've been enjoying this week:
A little weekend trip to Frankenmuth for some world famous chicken and Christmas music.

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Baby smiles that sometimes, maybe, if you use your imagination, are starting to be accessorized by little sounds that might be the effervescent beginning of giggles.


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Beautiful fall weather and Jack, our guard dog, keeping watch on the premises.


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My big boy, pissed that mommy tried to stage him up in a laundry basket. He looks two seconds and barely a decade away from rolling his eyes at me.