Of A Different Spirit

…I don’t think any of us were having much fun at all. However, those not-so-enjoyable 14 hours have brought a year (and many more to come) of joy into our home. Instead of waiting for my little prince to be here, I can glance over at him while he is watching a video (oh, how I love Baby Faith and Baby Einstein videos). I know what he looks like and can see his emerging personality. What a year has done for all of us!

This year has been a journey, as I’m sure most parents would agree. It has been a time of growth and change, not only in Caleb, but both Keith and myself. Any of you that keep up with this blog know how much I have enjoyed watching the relationship between Keith and Caleb bloom. He truly loves his dad and has every reason to. Keith is an amazing father. It seems to have come quite naturally for him. I have gone from being a working mom to a stay-at-home mom, which has given me more joy, satisfaction, and challenges than I have ever experienced in any other period of my life.

Okay, so, Hallmark moment over. Caleb has grown into a precious boy. Of course, he’s always been great, but he shows us in new ways all the time. I have really enjoyed watching him grow and develop in every way. I can’t wait to see what this next year will hold.
I know this isn’t an earth shattering post, but there will be more to come. For now, enjoy the pictures.

At this moment I am watching Caleb pursue a goal that is a mystery to both Keith and me. I don't think I have ever seen him this resolute. For the past ten minutes, he has been tirelessly fighting with our throw pillows. Every few moments he gets distracted, but he always comes back to them grunting with determination to do whatever it is he is trying to do. Oh wait, I think he's done. Keith just asked him if he was done and Caleb cut him off with what sounded like a very annoyed yes (purely coincidence I know, but still very funny).

Our evenings have become very enjoyable, especially now that I am at home full-time. We have a little more time just to enjoy each other, which is great. Oh by the way, he's back at the pillows...still don't know why. Anyway, Keith is a great entertainer for him and was able to make him laugh so hard the other night that he fell over. Sometimes he is too cute for words...Caleb I mean, but that works for Keith too

He is a very active and happy 10 month old. I think that is the most common comment that we receive is how very happy he his is. They just haven't seen him when I am trying to get him to take a sippy cup instead of a bottle...we are still working on that one. He'll get there. Anyway, I have to agree that he is a very happy and content baby.

He has changed a lot in the past month. I love to watch him learn and develop. He loves music and will dance to whatever he can. His favorite is the end credits to the Gilmore Girls. If Keith and I are watching that and the end credits come on he will drop whatever he is doing, crawl to the TV with a look of pure delight, and dance. It is hilarious! He also likes to shake his head for all kinds of reasons. He babbles a lot too. He says, or at least attempts, a few words such as kitty, hey, good, and circle.

He is growing quite a bit too. His latest check up went very well. He is up to 24 pounds and just over 30 inches. Teething has also gone well. He now has 7 teeth and has experienced very little trouble.

Caleb's first 4th of July was a lot of fun. We visited his cousins Avery and Evan. It is always a joy to spend the weekend with them. Evan is always entertaining and Avery is adorable. He and Caleb don't know what to do with each other yet, but I figure we need to count our blessings because it won't be long until they will be getting into plenty of trouble together.

He has just finished enjoying a weekend with his great-grandparents from Tallahassee. It was so good to see them. I always enjoy visiting with family and friends that don't get to see Caleb often. It just seems to be extra special.

Well, it's time to get this kid to bed and ready for another day full of laughing and playing.

Caleb has been having a lot of fun at the beach! We spent last week at St. Pete beach with my grandparents. They have had a timeshare there for over 20 years. It was really great to take him there because I have pictures of me in that pool with arm floats on.

He loved the water! He got the hang of splashing quickly, and also enjoyed sitting back and relaxing in his float in the pool (which I loved by the way!) We might have another little fish on our hands like so many of my siblings.

He also enjoyed the ocean. He spent most of his time on at the beach either under a cabana or in his tent (another product I loved!). His Grandnana got him a wagon full of sand toys. He liked playing a game in which he put the toys on his nose.

We took the opportunity to take his 9 month pictures while we were at the beach. They turned out great! As usual, Mindie did a great job. If anyone wants any of them, I can send them.

As you can see, he has gotten quite tall. He has gotten very good at standing and has started to prefer being on the floor playing with his toys so that he can crawl around or stand up. It is so much fun to keep up with this active little boy

Well, as you all can tell, it has been a very busy four months. I have tried so many times to sit down and blog, but it never works out. Something always seems to take up my time, whether it be the wash, dinner, cleaning, or Caleb, there’s just always something or someone else that is in need of my time. Anyway, my lack of posts in no way means a lack of activity for Caleb. He has been quite busy!

To the Doctor…Again
It has been a tough sick season for Caleb. We have both grown tired of fever scanning, medicine, and all that goes with it. For the last few months it has been a constant struggle, weekly to be exact. He’s had upper respiratory infections, ear infections, eye infections, rashes, and a horrible virus. The last one was the worst. He was so sick, and there wasn’t much we could do except for treating the raging fever and trying to get as much fluid in him as possible. However, things are looking up! Not only are we pulling out of the sick season, but because he is almost 9 months old his immune system should be running well on its own soon.

On the Move
May has been a month of mobility for Caleb. He started crawling earlier this month. In April I could tell that he was getting close, but it took my sister’s cat, Cheese Louise, to give him the motivation. He has quite the interest in cat tails and Cheese has a beautiful, very poofy one. I was at the doctor because he had given me his cold so, Abby was keeping an eye on him for a couple of hours. I told her that he wasn’t crawling so she could just put him on a blanket with some toys. When I returned, she informed me that I had lied about his lack of crawling ability and that he had crawled after Cheese Louise all the way into her dining room. He has been on the move ever since.

Sitting in the Morning, Standing in the Afternoon
Crawling isn’t the only thing Caleb has accomplished. He started standing Sunday. He was in his playpen in the morning while I was having my coffee and I could see the wheels turning as he got up onto his knees. Later, I was folding laundry when I looked over to check on him and I saw his two little eyes peering over the top as he giggled at his new ability.

Sweet Little Boy
When Caleb isn’t sick and is feeling more like himself, he is a very happy, easy going baby. He smiles and laughs a lot and is usually pretty happy entertaining himself if we are busy at the moment. The only exceptions are when he is sick, tired, or hungry. When that is the case he is sure to let us know, but once those needs have been met he is back to smiling and playing. He loves to be around people and never meets a stranger. He will smile at anyone. It is so fun to watch his emerging personality.
He is also a little chatterbox. When he is at home he babbles a lot and explores his vocal abilities, which is hilarious. He talks to his toys mostly, but he also likes a good chat with Pippin or Churchill if he can get one.

Good Little Eater
Caleb continues to be a good eater. He likes all of his vegetables and meats. He also enjoys all of his fruits with the exception of bananas. The bananas don’t go over so well. He is slowly beginning to feed himself, but he hasn’t quite mastered it. He is very happy when he is able to get a puff into his mouth all by himself and will do a little dance to show his satisfaction. Mealtime has become a time of exploration and is, although messy, a time to have fun together as he learns so I don’t mind the mess.

Favorite Playmate
Keith is Caleb’s favorite playmate. He is always very excited to see Keith and will smile, it seems, no matter how upset he may be at the time. This has been great because if Caleb is upset for his diaper change, Keith can make things go a little smoother just by walking over to him. Their favorite game is peek-a-boo which usually results in infectious laughter that can be heard throughout the apartment. Where do I fall in all of this? I am the one content to sit to the side and watch the two of them bond. I love my front row seat!

Meeting the Cousins and Everybody Else
Caleb has also been busy meeting his cousins. He and Avery (born two days apart) were finally able to meet when they were six months old. They didn’t know what to do with each other, but after a while they started to interact. I am excited that he has a cousin that is so close to his age. His mom and I hope they will be close as they grow up. He also met Evan as well, who was very excited about the visit.
Also, an update on an earlier post. Avery is doing much better. He stayed in the hospital for about a week and was released. He is such a cute, sweet baby! I hope that they can see each other again soon.
Uncle Jeremy and Aunt Michelle made a special trip to Florida all the way from Pennsylvania. I was particularly excited about this because I didn’t think they would get to see Caleb until he was over a year old.
Meeting Owen, Ivan, and Aron came a little later. I was happy to see all of them together. Ivan seemed to really enjoy seeing Caleb. My only regret with this visit is that I was unable to get pictures of all the boys together. Oh well, I’m sure we’ll have plenty of photo ops.
Of course, these visits also included others such as aunts, uncles, great-grandparents, etc. which was a lot of fun.
Now, we have only to meet Maddison who will be joining us in June. Congratulations Jeremy and Michelle! We can’t wait to see her!

Well, that was the condensed version, but I hope it catches everyone up. Hopefully, I will post before another four months fly by!

Also, most of these pictures are from Caleb's six month pictures. I have more too. If anyone would like to see more or if you want any, I can email them to you. By the way, they are courtesy of Aunt Mindie! Great job Mindie!

Hello everyone! I have every intention of posting for Caleb's five month update, however finding the time and energy has been an issue lately.

For right now I wanted to post a prayer request for Caleb's cousin Avery. He is currently in the hospital receiving fluids because he can't keep much down right now. I can't imagine what his parents, Shaun and Robyn are feeling right now, but it must be a whole host of things. Please keep little Avery in your prayers as well as his parents and brother, Evan.

Shaun and Robyn, we love you all and are praying constantly! God is faithful and will see Avery through!