Of A Different Spirit

Yet again, two months have passed without a post and, again, we’ve been busy. Lots of things have been going on during this time, so hold on while I review the highlights.

Physically, Caleb is doing very well! We haven’t been to the doctor since the croup issue and we are so thankful for that. He is getting so tall and is looking more like a little boy and less like a baby every day, which to me, has its good and bad points. I am trying to focus on the good though. The two teeth that have been causing so much trouble have finally come through and are being followed quickly by a third.

One big task we have started is preliminary potty training. I will spare you the details, but he is doing extremely well. I call it “preliminary potty training” because it is just getting him used to the process and the idea without pushing him. This has started much sooner than what I wanted, but, as his progress has made plain, he was very ready. I am very excited about how well he’s doing and I hope it is a sign that actual potty training will not be too difficult.

In June, we took our annual trip to St Pete Beach. What a fun week! Caleb was able to see all of his Hill cousins, aunts, and uncles. Of course, his Gramma, Grandnana, and Twodaddy were there for all the excitement. Our days were filled with sun, sand, and water. As I mentioned on the last post, we are dealing with the discovery of danger which caused the water portion of vacation to be slightly different from last year. My post from last June included pictures of a smiley faced boy floating in the pool. This year, he was not a big fan of the pool. At the beginning of the week, he was very clingy and only wanted to sit on the side and watch everyone else. This was okay because his cousin, Avery, kept him company. Keith and I decided to continue encouraging him to get into the water and by the end of the week he had begun to enjoy playing on the steps with his cousins Evan and Laycie.

To our surprise, the ocean was a different matter entirely. Most small children don’t like the openness of the ocean and prefer the pool because it is calmer, predictable, and smaller. Caleb, however, LOVES it! The first time we went to the beach, he and his daddy built his first few sand castles and after the demolition on those was finished we headed out to a very choppy ocean. I was somewhat hesitant to take him out there, but we decided we should try it and I’m so glad we did. He really enjoyed the waves and didn’t mind the water splashing him in the face. In fact, the more he was hit with the salt water, the more he laughed. I enjoyed it too, but most of all I liked the feeling of relief that I had about him having a good time.

Not all of our time was spent on the beach or in the pool. We decided to visit a local aquarium while we were in the area. All of the kids really enjoyed seeing the dolphins, otters, turtles, and fish. We even got to see the famous Winter up close. It was a nice change to our daily routine and go somewhere together.

We also took the opportunity celebrate some pretty important people and their accomplishments while we were all together. His cousin, Maddison, turned 1 in late June, so we had an early birthday party for her. It was so much fun to see her tear into her cake. She’s such a doll! I can’t believe she’s already a year old! We also had a luau for Gramma, who recently graduated with her Bachelor’s degree. Caleb had so much fun with all of the things we did together and even came back with a great tan.

July brought an opportunity for Caleb to experience his first fireworks show. We went to a local event the city holds every year. He got to run around in the little bit of rain that was coming down and watch all the people that had come out to celebrate. He doesn’t seem to have too much use for the pyrotechnic portion of the day’s activities yet, but I imagine that will change next year.

Caleb has also added to his treasures and I have been able to finish a project that has been nagging at me for a while. I have mentioned before how much I would like to create a family photo album for him in order to acquaint him with everyone’s faces and names. I think this is especially important to do with family members that don’t live close so that he feels a connection with them even though he only sees them once in a while. Well, thanks to his Grandaddy, he now has something even better! Grandaddy gave him an old laptop computer that wasn’t being used so that he could be like mommy and daddy and use the computer without doing damage to important equipment. The next day, it dawned on me that I could seize the opportunity for the family album using the computer. So, now he has a Power Point slideshow on his laptop that has pictures of all of his immediate family and I am very excited about it. Names are slowly being learned, and there are a few that can be said just about every time. With the exception of Mama, Daddy, and Abby, he says his cousins names the best and sometimes says all of them. Those of his immediate family reading this, he says “night, night” to all of you every evening before he goes to bed.

One night while looking at the family photos, I noticed that he has memorized the order of the slides and says some of his favorites when he knows they will be appearing soon. I am amazed that he has already memorized the order. What has surprised me the most is that when a name is said, even when he’s not watching the slide show, he will sometimes say the name of the person that comes next.

Along those same lines, he has figured out that some people have similarities or special connections and it seems that he sees them as a unit. Mama is preceded or soon followed by Daddy and Churchill is followed quickly by Pippin. I am fascinated as I see him start to “put two and two together.”

He has started to understand processes too. When we come home, we take off our shoes; a nap always follows lunch, and other such daily activities. It has been fun watching him learn this and want to carry them out on his own. It also makes these things go quicker and smoother and I’m always glad to see that.

Caleb’s vocabulary grows daily now and is sometimes very surprising. Not only can he name the object, but can sometimes mimic the sound it makes. This is particularly entertaining when he attempts to communicate with an animal by mimicking the sound it makes. He is attempting phrases, most of which cannot be understood, but there are some that are recognizable and the others are getting clearer every day.

Communication has improved immensely and is coming closer to two way communication. He understands some questions and can answer with “yes “or “no”, although most of the time the I get “no” even when he means “yes.”. Because of his progress we are encouraging him to say what he wants instead of simply crying and it has worked in many cases. I am glad to see that this has reduced some frustration because he is better able to communicate his wants and needs and I am better able to understand.

Attachment to items has developed recently and he already has a number of items and characters that he favors He insists that his Woody and Buzz placemat be in attendance at every meal. It’s really funny when he sees the two characters on an item in a store. He will point and proudly announce that he sees Woody and Buzz. We are teaching him the phrase “To infinity and beyond,” but right now he just puts his hands in the air and babbles something in the same tone and with plenty of excitement. He really likes Woody and Buzz, but more than them, he loves Veggie Tales, which he calls “Deba.” On difficult days, this is really a blessing because it holds his attention and gives me a little break. I am glad that he enjoys the shows so much because they teach really important messages and will have a lifelong effect as he grows older. Because he loves them so much, I have decided that his Lakeland birthday party will be Veggie Tale themed and I’m very excited about it.

As you can see we've had a lot of fun the last couple of months, and with his 2nd birthday right around the corner, I'm sure we're going to have a lot more!

The past two months have been filled with events, issues, and of course, changes for Caleb. The changes have not been major, but are small differences that show he is tapping into different facets of his personality. He continues with his growth physically and cognitively. His understanding is always growing to include more. Instead of being able to carry out a request that only involves his immediate area, he can now go into another room and come back to complete the task, such as getting a diaper for his diaper change. Caleb has also become quite the little helper. I was fixing breakfast one morning and I saw him bent over, his blanket underneath him. He was scrubbing away at a spot on the floor. So, I gave him a wet paper towel and let him go at it. That same morning he put a pot holder away without me asking. I have never asked him to do that before and I didn't know that he knew where to put them. Later that day after Keith got home, we saw him running down the hallway with his daddy's shoes. He knew they were supposed to go in our room, so he put them there. So, I've put him to work. He now helps me put groceries away, put laundry in the washer, and we have a toy clean up session before bed each night. I have been thrilled with how eager he is to help. He seems to get such a sense of accomplishment from it and I am more than happy to encourage it.

Caleb has also shown an increase in decision making ability. He can look in the refrigerator and, to an extent, pick out what he would like to eat. One day, before I had realized his new ability, I had opened the refrigerator to see what to make for lunch. Caleb reached in a grabbed a container of leftover carrots. I just knew he couldn't actually want those, but he was adamant. So, I cut them up and he ate them with joy. A year ago they made him gag! This has its pros and its cons, but I am enjoying his ability to express his preference.

He has begun to mimic what we say as well as what we do. He likes to comb his hair and put on his shoes. He'll even rub his hands together to wash them. I love how he soaks up everything around him. It can be surprising what he takes in when I don't even realize he's paying attention. He will even try to repeat what we say. At first, it still sounds like nothing but gibberish, but when you listen closely, you can distinguish something that sounds like English. He says "Where did it go" and "It's you." He says some others, but I can't think of them right now.

There has been a new growth in his emotional development, the understanding of fear. Really, it is more of an understanding of danger and that not all situations are safe and that not everyone provides the same security as mommy and daddy. Although, this comes with knew challenges for both Caleb and for us, such as visits to the nursery, I am happy to see it arrive. This isn't because I want him to be afraid or to cling to me and Keith all of the time, but it is a time for him to develop caution that provides safety for now and when he gets older. It is a time for Caleb to grow in facing fears while being able to depend on the security we provide. I see an opportunity to strike a balance between caution and facing one's fears that will stay with him when we no longer provide that security. So, for now, we are walking that line of showing him that not all things are scary, but sometimes it's okay to be afraid.

Caleb has stayed busy in other ways besides growing. He's had events, visitors, and some not so great days too. Right now, he is working on some new teeth. This is never pleasant and has caused some sniffles and grumpiness. However, I hope to have something to show for it soon. At the 19 month point we got our first experience with croup. In fact, our Easter was, well, croupy. Caleb has had several bouts with sickness, but this was a little different. It wasn't just the sniffles and a fever, this was horrible, as I'm sure many of you know. The coughing fits were terrible and made him gasp for breath and it came complete with a raging fever. The first fit came late at night and was very scary. That night, I slept sitting up in a chair with him on my chest so that we could sleep. I know I got more sleep in that chair than I could have in my own bed that night. Recovery was slow, so we were still dealing with the remnants on Easter weekend, but we were still able to do a small Easter egg hunt that he had no interest in at all.

It hasn't all been bad, though. We've had some great celebrations, one of which brought some special visitors. On May 1st his Gramma graduated with her Bachelor's Degree. We actually took him to the ceremony, which stressed me out at first. However, I left the ceremony thinking how great it was that we took him. He enjoyed the singing during the first part and watching all the graduates walk into the auditorium. I let him run around the lobby during the "speech" which was nice because it got me out of having to sit through it. He went back in to see his Gramma walk, which was special. More than anything else, he enjoyed listening to all the celebration as everyone got their diploma. He didn't even mind the blow horns. He laughed and clapped and just had a lot of fun. That weekend he spent time with his Grandnana and Twodaddy who had come to see mom graduate. It was so great to see him have fun with my Nana's silliness. And he loved playing with his new trains and with his Twodaddy. Aunt Mindie and cousins, Laycie and Torrie, dropped by as well. Caleb really enjoys his cousin Laycie and Torrie is always so sweet.

While I was writing, he took a tissue, wiped his nose, then threw the tissue away - I love it!

Anyway, today, we went to his cousin Thrasher's 1st birthday party. It's hard to believe that he is already a year old. He is so sweet and cuddly. I hope that Thrasher stays around so that he and Caleb can be good buddies. Kevin and Jessica are two really wonderful people and have taken this little guy into their home and showered him with all that he needs. I know that even if he doesn't stay all the love and care they have poured into him with stay with him. We were so very happy to celebrate this day with him, he is such a sweet little blessing!

Hopefully, I won't wait so long to write the next post. I know I'll have a lot to share and a lot of pictures!

Caleb has now reached the 18 month milestone! In many ways, this one has been the same as other milestones, but in some ways, it has been very unique. It is so much fun to have an 18 month old in the house. There is never a dull moment! He’s always on the move and exploring! He continues to be a very good toddler that is fiercely independent and but incredibly sweet.

According to his 18 month check-up, he is doing well. He continues to be above average in height and weight. He received only one shot (and did great by the way) and isn’t due for any more until he is five. That was a very welcome piece of news. His molars are still coming in and it seems that a couple of them are taking their time in breaking through completely. We will all be happy when the teething process is over. Then daddy can take over the whole “pulling teeth thing."

This month, we took a trip to see his cousin, Evan who turned five on the 17th. He spent time with the birthday boy and cousins, Avery, Laycie, and Torrie. We were also able to catch up with his Uncle Shaun and Aunts, Robyn, and Mindie. Twodaddy and Grandnana also dropped by for some fun. Our visits to Macon are always so great.

He played well with everyone, including Avery. I was especially glad to see them connect. They are both so sweet and didn’t even fight over any toys. I have been thrilled with his social skills. Although, at times he can seem uninterested in interaction, he has not shown signs of aggression. He is a normal toddler in that he has to learn to share, but that doesn’t seem to bother him. However, he doesn’t allow others to bully him. I hope this nice balance sticks around!

Caleb has added a few more phrases and words to his vocabulary. “Go away” is something he hears a good bit, and no it is not directed at him, and he says it quite well. He can also say “ball,” “juice,” “dog,” “meow,” “woof,” “bubble,” and several others. Because he is able to repeat words pretty well, I have started to teach him the names of family members. Some of them come out very clear, and others are just funny. “Abby” comes out the clearest. He adores his Aunt Abby, and happily says her name. “Nana” is another one that he has mastered. We had a little fun the other night with names and had some laughs with the way that he says them. He attempts “Avery,” which is cute. My favorite is Owen. He actually says “O-ey.” It’s precious! Now, I just need to make an album for him so that I can point to faces as I teach him the names. So many projects…

I have also seen that he is starting to understand and recognize surroundings more. Every time we drive up to Southeastern University, he says “Dada” over and over because he knows he is about to see his daddy. He understands that the doctor’s office isn’t always a pleasant visit and gives the nurses disapproving looks.

This month has brought with it subtle, but important changes. It marks the time for Caleb to start pulling away from me and identify with his daddy in order to develop his masculine identity. This will take a long time, but this early period is very important. He is so blessed to have a daddy that he can look up to, spend time with, and learn from. Not all little boys get such a privilege. I have backed away a little in order to provide activities that are just their own so that this process can begin. Caleb’s favorite games to play with just his daddy are crashing cars and building with Duplos. It gives me a little “mommy time” too! Okay, so most days it’s dinner prep time, but at least I’m not chasing after anybody. I am now the kisser of boo boos, the wiper of tears, and biggest encourager. Daddy is now the one to follow after.

Backing away has given me the opportunity to see little cracks appearing where a little boy peaks out as he tries to break through the shell of infancy. My first reaction to seeing him look out at me was to find something to seal up the openings. I rushed to find anything, a toy or outfit that will make the little boy retreat and the baby stay longer. As I reached for the glue, I stopped and realized that there is no amount of adhesive that will close the cracks. I must allow Baby Caleb to give way to Super Caleb – the little boy who prefers to wear his blanket as a cape instead of sleep with it. As my role changes, I will celebrate the journey from baby to boy and hold on to what my mom told me when she found out that we would be welcoming a boy into our lives: “Little boys always love their mommies.”

“Uh, oh” is a phrase I hear a lot these days. Caleb has started to move from non-verbal to verbal communication. The change has been slow, but compared with last month he has made great strides in the process. “Uh, oh” is currently his favorite, and most of the time he uses it correctly. At other times, he just wants to experiment with it. “Uh, uh” with a shake of his head is also pretty popular and is the answer to most of my questions no matter his feeling on the subject. Right now, his vocabulary seems to be based around circumstances and occurrences instead of objects or people. However, I have already seen some changes in that. Last week he began calling our cat, Churchill, by name. It comes out pretty clear and is attached to just about any cat he sees in a book and some of his favorite toys. For the most part though, it is attached to his favorite “toy” in the house and that is the furry creature that tries to get away when he hears his name squealed with joy. Along with this he continues to say “hi” (only to the cats), “mommy,” “daddy,” and a variation on the word, “tummy.”

All of this verbal communication has not decreased his ability to physically communicate his emotions. His ability to show affection has gone from my requesting it to him giving it freely. He has his own version of a hug, which involves him laying his head on you and giving a sigh and an “mmmmmmm.” Churchill currently holds the record for receiving these (when Caleb can catch him), but I am a close second…okay, so maybe not close. He is definitely able to say, “I love you,” he just doesn’t say it yet.

I have been pleased to see his understanding of words and objects increase since last month. He understands longer sentences and more complex ideas. For instance, I can ask for a kiss and a hug and he responds accordingly even if he is across the room from me. He can tell me what he needs by reaching for the object that will fulfill it, such as his juice or cheerios. He knows that shoes go on his feet and he likes to try to put them on whenever he gets a chance. Currently, he is pointing at our DVD player (something I just told him not to touch) and saying “uh, uh” while shaking his head. Of course, in another little while, he will forget and I will have to go back over the boundary marker. As the popular saying goes, communication is a two way street and it looks like we will be zooming down that highway in no time.

Caleb has also developed a lot in a whole new area - social skills. He now wants playmates during his playtime, which is a big change from what has been his usual preference for independent play with interaction with others accepted, but not necessary. Keith and I are now the readers of books, throwers of balls, huggers of stuffed animals, and the watchers of dances. This has been very enjoyable, but not without its drawbacks. I now know nursery rhymes more than I did 6 months ago and have recited the “1,2, buckle my shoe” (his favorite) rhyme countless times in the past week. Of course, there is the inevitable “mommy is busy” moment when he proudly wants me to read to him that causes some issues. However, it has caused me to re-evaluate the “important” activities for the day. Is it more important for me to check my email or to spend 2 minutes with a little boy that won’t be so little soon? No, not really. Okay, well, maybe if I have to read “1,2, buckle my shoe” again. No, email still isn’t as important.

Now, to what do we owe all this growth? There are a few things, including just the natural process of development. However, I think I can attribute a good portion of it to a 2 year old boy named Carter. Carter is Caleb’s new playmate and what a little team they make! Even though Carter is a little more than 6 months older, Caleb towers over him. However, what Carter doesn’t have in size over Caleb, he has in cognitive and social abilities. Carter has really made a difference in Caleb’s vocabulary and has taught him the phrases like “uh,oh” and “uh, uh.” In addition to this, Caleb has recently approved Carter’s application for interaction. They now play with toys together and will even make up games together. With this increase in playing with another toddler has come the need for Keith and me to be his playmates at home. It has been fun watching the boys get to know one another and form a friendship. I think it’s been really good for both of them.

Caleb has also grown physically. At his 15 month check up, his doctor told me that his legs would start to lengthen as the growth of his torso slowed. I have started to see this happening. I looked at him just a couple of days ago and was surprised to see that his legs had actually gotten longer. I mean, a lot longer. Goodness, what are we going to do about pants with this kid? We have also been through a fun round of teething. Okay, so “fun” is the wrong word, but at least it is over…I think. He is now up to 12 teeth. His 18 month molars broke through in the months of January and February and not quietly, either. However, through all the trouble we are happy to see them. I am especially happy that I won’t have to take so much time to cut up his food now that he has teeth to do a little more crushing. Of course, that doesn’t mean I won’t do it at all, it just won’t take as long.

This month has also had some unexpected, but always enjoyed, visitors. The Tennessee Kelsos came for a short visit last week. I was relieved that we were able to spend some time with them even though we were all fighting colds. Caleb was a little more mobile than he was at Thanksgiving and was able to run around with Owen, Ivan, and Aron. I am excited to see their relationships grow as they get older. I am also very excited that I actually remembered my camera this time and was able to snap a few pictures! They enjoyed playing on Grandma and Granddaddy’s back porch, and I just had to capture that.

I know that I will probably say this many, many times, but I have to say that this stage might be my favorite. His personality is growing, his is starting to show a need for relationship with others and is expressing it, and is just, well, extremely cute. I know that this stage also comes with a lot of discipline and testing of boundaries, but that is so small next to the bigger things happening. I am proud of my little toddler. His mind and body are growing at very fast speeds. On a daily basis, he has to learn to deal with new concepts and new abilities as his development proceeds that weren’t processed the day before. I know it has to be so overwhelming at times, but he is dealing with it very well. That isn’t to say we don’t have “toddler days,” but overall I think he has done great so far.

Okay, so maybe it's more like a penguin/crab combo. I've also heard T-Rex. Well, whatever he looks like, he is walking here, there, and everywhere! Actually, he started walking just a few days after my post about our Thanksgiving in Nashville. Of course, he would choose the holiday season to reach this milestone when I had little time to record it and share. I know most of you that read this have already seen him and know that he is whooshing all over the place, but I just couldn't go on with the blog without doing a post about it. Besides, how could I waste such a good title?

With his new found mode of transportation, Caleb has become more busy than ever. It is very difficult to keep up with him. He is never still, unless he's sleeping. When he's out, he's out. I must say that is one good thing about all this activity. Once we get him to be still with his blanket, he is asleep very quickly. The busyness has also made taking pictures more challenging. You will notice that there are very few in which he has taken the time to look at me.

At 16 months Caleb's ability to communicate has increased quite a bit. He still uses his own language when speaking, which continues to entertain us, but his ability to communicate on an emotional level is what has developed the most. He can now show affection in several different ways as well as demonstrate negative emotions. Most mornings I walk into his room to be greeted by a smiling toddler that is standing on his toes in his crib stretching up to give me a good morning kiss. On the other side of this, is the little boy that informs us that he is unhappy with Keith leaving to go to work and that he would rather his daddy stayed and played. He has also developed an new interest in stuffed animals that he can cuddle with. He has a few that are his favorites and will walk around holding and hugging them. He is growing into a busy, but loving toddler.

He has recently recovered from yet another cold. I really wanted to help him fight it off, but when he woke up one morning with one eye almost completely swollen shut, I knew we needed reinforcements. I hope that we have better luck this year than we did at this time last year.

Caleb's understanding of verbal cues has also increased and continues to do so daily. He understands short phrases and is obedient most of the time, thankfully when it is the most important, such as in the bathtub. He hasn't added very much to his vocabulary, but he is using those he has already mastered more often and with more purpose. He says "Hi" a lot, but mostly to the cats, with everyone else it makes few appearances. He asks "what's that?" and points at objects. He has mastered "momma" and says it for many things including me. In addition to words having purpose, objects do as well. Brushes are for brushing hair, phones and remotes are for talking into, remotes are for turning channels, and so on. The phone and remote are his favorites. He spends much of his playtime "talking" on his cell phone or remote, anything with numbers on it.

His play has become more complex as his behavior organizes and his ability to interact increases. I now see some imagination as he manipulates his toys. He pushes buttons, pulls levers, and flips switches all to see the cause and effect relationship. The development of organized play has been the most evident with his bathtub toys. For Christmas his Uncle Kevin and Aunt Jessica gave him some little monsters that squirt water. They are now his favorite bath time toys. He will line them up on the side of the tub, have them speak to each other (I think that's what he's doing), then push them back into the water. I know that doesn't sound like a big deal, but to me it speaks volumes about what is happening in his brain development. His play with Keith and me has also become more complex as he mimics our behavior. He can recall a game that we played with him yesterday and can initiate it. Peek-a-boo is a whole new game now that he realizes that he can use his own hands to cover his eyes and when he does so, we react by playing the game with him.

Other things have remained the same in some ways and have changed in others. He still loves music, but now he can react to it and become a participant. He has found that he can dance even better on his feet and that he can use his voice to create music. He "sings" a good bit while he plays, especially if it is something that he is very interested in or if it is a new discovery. He has a favorite dance in which he walks in circles to the music. It's quite the crowd pleaser.

The past few months have shown a slowing in Caleb's physical development and an incredible increase in his cognitive development. We have been introduced to the wonderful and crazy world of toddler hood and are loving it!