Hello Sunshine

Sleepy Eyes

We're still trying to ready ourselves for the week over here after a relaxing weekend. But we have lots of fun stuff planned so we better step it up. Playgroup at the park. Community Garden Day. Walking with friends. Tumbling during Tiny Tots gym class. Baking. Reading. Climbing. Playing outside and enjoying the sunshine. Bring on the week.

17 Weeks with Littlest G

A party and a park weekend

We enjoyed the first sunny day in a week today! Saturday Caleb went to his friend Bear's 1st Birthday Party. They had a circus/carnival theme going on and everything was adorable. We met Bear when he was only one month old and now he is a year! I can't even believe it. Sunday we relaxed and enjoyed the sunshine. Caleb had a ball at the park climbing and going down the slides. And yes. He's still in his pjs from his nap :) That's what a lazy Sunday is all about my friends.

Looking forward to a week of sunshine! Hopefully...

Friday Fun Facts

Friday is finally here! Yay.

Here are some random fun facts about our little guy!

1. These overalls are the very first pair that actually fit Caleb. We were able to button up the sides all the way! All the other overalls have been too small in the middle for Caleb's chubby tummy. Now that he's thinned out he can finally wear overalls! It may seem small or random. But we are pretty excited about this!

2. Getting Caleb to sit still for a picture, or to even look at the camera for a picture, is pretty much impossible these days. A smile for the camera? Well chances of that are next to zero! So long easy photo ops with big smiles.

3. 'Hi' has become Caleb's favorite word to say. And my favorite word to hear. "Hi" greets us each time we go in to pick Caleb up from his crib in the morning or from a nap.

4. And this one isn't so much a fun fact, but more of a funny story. Caleb woke up early one morning and we let him stay in his crib awhile before getting him to see if he'd go back to sleep. Instead he whined for a few minutes and then started calling out...Mama? Dada? Mama?....must have been wondering what was taking us so long!

Thursday Tops

Just watching Dad re-till the yard for the grass seed he planted this week! Caleb was pretty excited watching dad out in the yard. Here's what I'm excited about...

My Thursday Top 5s

1. Finding out in 15 days if Caleb will have a little brother or a little sister

2. The weekend of course! With lots of hubby/daddy time!

3. Our yard progress and watching the grass seeds become green grass

4. Our 3 upcoming trips in April and May. Just Dave and I. While Caleb hangs out with Nani and Poppy and Grandma

5. Getting my first paycheck in almost two years! And using it to help to save up for a car (family mini-van. lol) and baby #2.

What are your Thursday Tops?

Almost

Back to my ol' happy self. So don't worry mom!

Caleb seems to be on the mend. He slept almost 13 hours straight through last night and his coughing was a lot better. It didn't keep us up all night like I thought it might. He's been coughing way less today and his nose is clearing up! Let's hope we are kissing colds good-bye for awhile!

Trust

My Worst Parenting Moment. So Far.

1. A sick baby/toddler/child. I think this one takes the cake for me. The most helpless I feel is when Caleb is sick and there isn't always much we can do to help him. I always worry that it's worse than it is and more often than not it has turned out to be something Dr. worthy. I hate having a sick baby :(

Caleb's 3 hour nap (tired guy) today has consisted of constant coughing every few minutes. First with the allergies for two weeks and now with a cold. Ug. I hate the coughing. How he is sleeping through all that hacking is beyond me.

Dave gently puts his hand on me in the dark hours of the night and reassures me that everything will be okay.

Yesterday at church the homily was on TRUST. Trusting that God will get us through it if he brings us to it. And I was reminded to put my Trust in Him. And I think Trusting seems to be my greatest struggle because I air on the side of worry and anxiety. But I won't give up or let my fears consume me. I can Trust. And I will continue to trust in my Heavenly Father.

Rain Drops

are falling steady over here. Caleb now has a cold to go with this dreary weather we are having. On top of his allergy cough we are now dealing with a a cold cough that kept me on the edge of the couch and bed all last night. At 4 am when his coughing and crying woke us up I decided I'd rather have him in bed with us where I could watch him like a hawk everytime he coughed. He then for the first time in weeks had a good ol' cuddle in Mom and Dad's bed and slept in till 9! Poor guy. It's just one thing after the next, month after month since October. It has been a long Flu Season for us over here! trying to get in a little fresh air by helping dad take out the trash

drip drip (on his nose if you look closely) kinda gross.

not looking his finest. but a little fresh air did us all some good today :)

Cough. Cough.

And no, it's not Caleb's fake cough he does to get a rise out of mom and dad. It's a middle of the night, everyone sound asleep, heart drops to the floor as I hear my baby coughing. coughing. and oh yes. more coughing. constant coughs every few minutes lasting about an hour or so. Every night. For the past week and a half. And the irony of it all. Caleb's not waking him despite all his coughing. But Dave and I. We are wide awake. I am sitting straight up in the bed, ready to run in at the slightest cry with a glass of water and a check to make sure Caleb's still breathing and all is well ( yes. I am that paranoid mother). But it is all in vain because Caleb sleeps through it all. We have called the dr. and talked to her on the phone about it. But then I decided I needed to see her in person and have her check Caleb out. Because he doesn't have a cold and we couldn't understand why the cough and nothing else? Drool from teething? Food parts stuck in there somewhere? She thinks it is allergies. Dave and I both have them as well as a family history of allergies. I've had them since I was a little girl. And they were bad. They've eased up over time though. She had a lot of suggestions such as an air filter, and trying children's benadryl. Among some other things. So we'll see how that goes. The daytime eases my worry because the cough disappears magically and only returns while Caleb is sleeping. Talking to our own moms who have more wisdom and experience than we do helped ease some worries too. But as I lie awake at night listening and counting each cough, each minute that ticks until the next one, the only thing I can do is whisper the same prayer over and over again...putting my child's life in bigger and stronger hands.

Footsteps

The footsteps of a toddler. The footsteps of a father. A small pair. A big pair. Little hands enclosed in bigger hands. Both bent over, both inspecting, working, digging, and getting dirty in the dirt. My boys love to be outside, and in the yard. A father teaching, and a son who is learning. Almost everyday this is the scene that takes place when Dave comes home from work. And I listen and watch from afar, all the while having one of those 'heart squeeze' moments

15 Weeks

I think...I actually am having a harder time keeping track with this baby. Thankfully I still get my trusty info filled emails about what baby is up to in the womb this week. So I think I'll be 16 weeks on Friday. I have also not been so great at taking pictures this time around. We took one almost every week with Caleb. Now I'm bummed we didn't from the beginning with this pregnancy so that I can remember what I used to look like before I was pregnant. oh about 10...15...pounds ago :( I've gained weight a lot faster this time and I feel like I'm eating healthy, mostly just fruit overload.
So here goes. My first picture of baby belly during week 15 :) I'm going to try and be more on top of it and take weekly pictures. And this was my first 'self portrait' and I look pretty funny! Haha!
Week 15 with Little G

Week 15 with Caleb

It's fun to look back at pictures of when I was pregnant with Caleb. I feel like I am carrying a little differently, but I think I'm the only one who notices. Dave didn't really get what I meant. Maybe it's just because my belly popped out way faster this time and is already bigger than it was with Caleb. 3 weeks and 2 days till we find out if the baby is a boy or girl!

And lastly,

I FINALLY started up with my case. I re-trained way back in October and finally started working with my kiddo on Monday, and he is adorable. But it's hard to get back in the swing of things after being out of the 'work' loop for a year and a half. And it's weird to transition from sweet darling child of mine, to another, sweet child, but who isn't mine. First day awkwardness is inevitable. And I am not a fan of starting new things. But I did it. And am continuing to pray for strength, wisdom, and patience, as I come to know this new child, and he comes to know me, and my hope is that he will slowly blossom in our months together. I feel like a rusty rock, found deep in the ocean and the layers of dust and grim need to be picked off quickly as I re-adjust to this new landscape before me. It's nice to have something outside of my wonderful days with Caleb and I'm pleased as punch that it's only a few hours a week and that Dave gets that special time alone with Caleb. So on Wednesday, I'll be almost as nervous as I was on Monday, but this time, I'll think of Caleb. I'll remember the way he took his coach's hand at his tumbling class today, and walked clear across the floor to the other side away from me, and I watched him try something he had never tried before, he smiled shyly at me, but didn't stop what he was doing, didn't pout or try and come back, he did the exercise, and then proudly smiled at the end. Proud of what he had done. I'll remember his sweet, tentative face, that took a chance, and took a step, on his own, without me near. And I'll say to myself, I can do it too...

Tip Toes

Every night before I go to sleep, I quietly tip-toe into Caleb's room to hear his sweet gentle breathing, smell his Caleb scent, see his little body curled up in sleep, and to whisper a prayer of gratitude, and protection, for this little angel of mine, sent from above, and entrusted in our care. And during nap time, every now and then, not quite as often, but when the house gets extra quiet because Caleb's been sleeping for a long time, I tip toe in, and because it's daylight out. I snap a picture. To store away, so that years from now, when my baby boy, isn't so little anymore, I can pull it out, smile and remember, the sounds, the scent, the look, of my baby boy who isn't so little anymore.

and those chunky little thighs, still there, and make me smile everytime.

This week's happenings

We did some fun stuff this week. Playgroup with friends, a couple visits to the park, a new tumbling class that we checked out and Caleb loved, a field trip to the airport, an airplane craft in potluck preschool, and harvest of the month. This month's theme was root vegetables. I tried really hard to keep him super busy and active every morning so that come nap time after lunch he would be tired and take a good nap without those binks (and he's transitioned to one nap a day this week too) kind of a lot at once for us. Keeping our mornings busy everyday helped my sanity and Caleb's fussy times. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera at all these fun things :( We got a few pictures at the airport thanks to our friends that remembered their Camera.
Here is our week in a nutshell.

I was so excited about the tumbling class we tried out. I thought Caleb would be clingy and stay close by to me, but he jumped right in and participated. They had an obstacle course for the kids, bars, a trampoline, and floor time. It's basically gymnastics for 2 year olds. Kind of cute! We have never taken a (paid) class together and most our activities are through the Moms Club which is free (membership is only 20 bucks a year. Kind of nice!). I thought it would be nice for him to try out a 'structured' class with me, that lets him get out all his wiggles. Especially now that he is so into climbing into everything. He loved the coach and had smiles for everyone.

Our field trip was at a local airport (which daddy would have loved had he been there) the kids got free kid sized airplanes to build and fly at home and had a tour of the place (Caleb was not so interested, and really just wanted to eat) It was a cool experience though and I feel so blessed to be able to take him to these great things through the local Moms Club.

And lastly, I feel I should do a little update on our yard. Dave's been working outside everyday after work (with Caleb's help of course) they fixed the sprinklers this week. Caleb helped clean them off in the water and made sure to sweep the entire front yard. Every time I poked my head outside or stole sneaks from the window I would catch sight of Caleb standing as close as can be to Dave inspecting whatever Dave was looking at, or wandering around trying to be useful by sweeping the yard, or getting distracted and bending down to pick up sticks and rocks along the way. It melted my heart every time I saw Caleb squeezed up next to Dave. There's nothing like the look Caleb gets on his face whenever Daddy walks through the door, or comes into sight. Da'da was his first word, and I must say, he is definitely a Daddy's boy. He loves his daddy

Here are some pictures at the local airport where we took our field trip.

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Happy Friday :)

Baby Brother or Baby Sister for Caleb?

Any predictions? We find out in 4 weeks on April 7th!

17 months!

Happy 17 Months Caleb. I can't believe you are almost half way to two! You are becoming more and more 'grown-up' and want to do almost everything on your own now.

What you have been up to this month:

Giving kisses and hugs when asked to by family members or Dave and I

New words are Auntie Laura 'rora' and Auntie Jenny 'yay yay' and signing for reading and thirsty (It's getting harder to keep track of new words and words I've already posted)

You cover your mouth now when you cough if we ask you to, sometimes you remember to on your own. (You think it is a great game to play)

You love to sit and read books on your own. You will leaf quietly through the pages and it gives me a 'heart squeeze' every time

You know where Daddy's work is and start shouting Da'da as soon as the parking lot is in view from the window in the car. It gets me every time!

You love to help with things...you put away your cups from each meal and into the refrigerator, help sweep after eating, help dad out in the yard, put away your clothes in the hamper, put away your tooth brush, you love brushing your teeth, and help put the clothes into the dryer. Pretty much anything we ask for 'help' with, you will do with earnest!

You have taken an interest in climbing into baskets. Especially the laundry basket and book basket.

You still eat like a champ and will eat anything we give you (and I do not exaggerate)

You are now binky free :) And have done better than we could have imagined with this transition. Last night you only fussed for 10 minutes and then slept your usual 12 hours with no wake ups! You don't even seem to notice they are missing. The only hard times for us are in the car (small confined space with screaming isn't very pleasant!) You are still taking your usual two naps but I think you are ready for just one afternoon nap now.

We love you so much Caleb. You are the apple of our eye and we are so proud of you always.

The Pout

may be in full swing this week Night one. No binks. Operation 'Good-bye binks has begun...

Post Edit *

Night one went better than Dave and I could imagine. Caleb fussed in his crib at bedtime for about 30 minutes and then was out like a light all night long. I checked in on him twice to make sure he was still breathing. 12 hours later, no middle of the night fussing or early wakings and our little man was happy as can be this morning!

Morning nap consisted of about 15 minutes of fussing in the crib and then he's been out ever since, taking his usual am nap.

We're so proud of Caleb! I am feeling liberated of the binks and thinking is this too good to be true? He's been a happy boy all morning long.

We'll see how his afternoon nap goes and bedtime again tonight...

3 days later and we are home free! Caleb is sleeping great (since the first night without them and including naps somehow) and sticking to his normal sleep schedule (he just fusses a bit before falling asleep) but is a lot less fussy during the day. Seems like he's almost better off without them now. They were a life saver in his early months. And now it is nice that they are long gone :) And that concludes the story of the binks...for now...we'll see what happens with Littlest G.

beach day

blue skies. warm balmy beach air. a cute toddler. and a photographer with a camera (that being my sister). lots of family. lots of laughs. and a glorious way to spend a Saturday! have i mentioned that I love the beach and could happily live out my days upon the warm sand underneath blue skies and sunshine warmth. for now i'll take beach days any day.
can you see the resemblance? (the same brow furrow might give it away)



caleb 'kisses' for baby
is the sand tasty Caleb?
toes squishing in the sand








this is definitely my favorite picture of the day. maybe my favorite picture ever.
all photographs were taken by my amazing sister jenny. thanks jen!