Birthday Boy

From one day old...
to one year old...Happy 1st Birthday Caleb!

My Sweet Caleb,
I can't believe one year ago we saw and held you for the very first time. A moment that would forever change our lives for the good.

Yesterday you took your first tenative steps toward me. You have brought us so much joy Caleb and we are proud to be your parents. Little did we know how much love our hearts could hold for one little person. You have helped us to become better people, to learn patience and to appreciate the little things. Our greatest joy is watching you as you discover your world with such wonder. You are the greatest blessing in our lives. We love you so much Caleb Lincoln and are excited to celebrate this very special day with you surrounded by lots of family who have traveled a long way to be with you on your special day. We love you Birthday Boy!

One Year Ago

We arrived at the hospital to meet our sweet baby boy for the very first time!

Just Me and My Nani

Headed to Starbucks, their favorite hangout.
Caleb likes to people watch and dance to the tunes while Nani sips her coffee in the early morning hour while mom and dad sleep. It's a win win.

Then afterwards, it's playtime with an early birthday present.

I spied. They looked like they were having a fun time.
Caleb doesn't know what fun he is in for. More visitors to celebrate his big day this weekend. Grandma, Grandpa, Great Auntie, more aunties, Nani and Pops, Bubbie, and playgroup friends. We're getting excited!

Of course there will be plenty of pictures to come :)

So long...

nursing days. Had I known Sunday morning would be the last time Caleb would nurse I would have tried and savored it a little more even though he only nursed a couple minutes. He stopped nursing so suddenly even though we have been offering the sippy cup with his meals. All of a sudden he was DONE with nursing. I thought it would happen a little more gradually like him dropping a feed or two. All he wants now is sippy no mommy. It was pretty sad for me. He just started screaming as soon as I hunkered down in our favorite 'nursing spot.' It was as though he knew what I was about to do and he was not having it! He wouldn't even cuddle with me. So sad. (Now I'm glad we rocked to sleep for so long because those cuddles are a little harder to come by these days) I know we've been trying to get him to take milk out of his sippy the past week or two but it seemed like he wasn't about to give nursing up for at least another month or two. He was still going steady on his three nursings a day. Little did I know it would happen in a blink. Literally. I really can't believe how far we've come in the 'nursing' department. From newborn hour on end nursing sessions (where I felt like a milking cow) to the 'honeymoon' stage of finally figuring it out (it took me a long time to feel comfortable and confident) to the final days of very quick nursing sessions. Almost a whole year. I'm glad I was able to nurse Caleb for this long. There were plenty of moments where I was ready to give up, mostly at the 6 month mark when the teeth came in and I was nipped a few times. Ouch. I'm kind of glad to have my body completly back. After a year and nine months of sharing it basically! But at the same time I'm a little sad to see this stage come to a close. Caleb really is becoming his own little person. I'm so proud of him and it's such a joy to watch him become such a little boy!

What I Love About Fall

The sight of fall: All the beautiful colors changing on the tree and making the sidewalk colorful.
The feeling of fall:The crisp air that fills up my lungs with life during our early morning walks and evening walks.
The smell of fall: apples, pumpkins, pies, and candles!
Ah. I love fall! This morning Caleb and I were on our 'daily' walk and I felt it. Fall. The clouds in the air. The wind blowing. Caleb and I were bundled up in our sweaters. The leaves were changing as they fell to the ground. The air was so crisp I could smell it! We came home. I put Caleb down for his am nap and took out my fall decorations while I lit my pumpkin spice candle and reflected on the fact that a year ago I was doing the same thing while I anticipated the arrival of the little life growing inside me. Now I am anticipating his first birthday bash with our amazing family and friends. The season of fall is even sweeter now because Caleb's birthday starts it off! What do you love about fall?

Nighty Night

I'll Love you Forever

"I'll love you forever. I'll like you for always. As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be."

Word of the wise. This will be long and sentimental and probably a little TMI.
It's beginning to hit me. Hard. I no longer have a baby. We've been working on weaning around here. Caleb's just started taking whole milk out of the sippy cup and this morning he didn't nurse at all. And now that he puts himself to sleep in the crib he didn't even want to cuddle up with me. For so long we nursed, we rocked, we cuddled. Now Caleb is taking the sippy and only nursing a little, he hardly wants to be rocked, and he is ready to just go right in the crib and put himself to sleep. And I'm kind of sad. Happy for Caleb that he is able to do these things without me. Glad that I appreciated all those beautiful nursing and rocking moments. But WOW. It really does go by so fast. In the beginning it is so hard and then it gets better and you have this beautiful time and relationship through nursing, this closeness and bond that began when you are pregnant feeling every kick and movement. You provide nutrients for your baby from the time they are in the womb and it continues through nursing and now all of a sudden they are able to get nutrients elsewhere. And it's just the first of one huge step toward independence for them. Lately, Caleb has been standing on his own without holding on to anything. This may seem like a small milestone but it is huge because pretty soon he'll be walking. And like that, within a year, you go from having a helpless newborn who becomes a walking toddler. And you realize that you really do blink. You really do wake up one morning wondering where the time went. This all makes me realize no matter how bad the day gets or whatever hard phase we're going through it doesn't last but a second and it's so easy to miss out and not capture all the good and wonderful moments. No matter how much people tell you it goes fast, you don't really believe them. Until you wake up, you tiptoe into your sleeping baby's room in the middle of the night. and you realize, they aren't so little anymore.

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