4 months

Note from mom: Yes, I know Caleb will turn 5 months in 9 short days. However, Caleb celebrated turning 4 months old by cutting not one but two cute little teeth. It threw our household into a tailspin and we are just recovering. Therefore, this post is more than a little late. Better late than never, right?


Dear Caleb,

On Thanksgiving day, you turned an amazing 4 months old! Thanksgiving Day also marked a year exactly from the day our doctor called to confirm that you were on your way. What an incredible year it has been my sweet little one! I'm so blessed to be your Mom!

At your 4 month appointment you weighed a whopping 18 lbs and 4 oz! That's the 98th percentile! You stretch those pounds out over an amazing 27". Again you're in the 98th percentile! Where'd you get those tall genes from little man? (Well, maybe not so little...)

You're still an extremely happy baby. You're so easy going and willing to do whatever is on tap for the day. I love spending all day with you. You're my precious little companion!

This month was full of huge accomplishments for you. On November 5th you rolled over from your tummy to your back for the first time. You spent the whole day rolling over and we were so proud of you! Then you refused to do it again until Thanksgiving Day. Silly boy! You also started reaching for and grabbing toys. Now everything you see goes in your mouth. It's a very exciting development!

You have finally found your thumb! Praise the Lord! However, there are lots of days when you suck on your finger and your thumb - or both thumbs at once. You often suck your thumb palm up with your fingers sticking out to the side. Only once have I seen you get that thumb in your mouth and make a perfect little fist. You even hooked your thumb over your nose - just like mommy used to do! I'm very ready for you to give up this silly pacifier. I'm so tired of trying to keep it clean and make sure we have it everywhere we go.

You tolerate tummy time if you have a constant stream of toys and entertainment. You'd much rather be on your back and even them you don't like it for too long. Your newest favorite toy is your exersaucer. You want to spend most of your day in it because you can stand and talk to all of the toys. You are quite anxious to be a boy on the move! The first day I put you in your exersaucer you gave me your first real belly laugh. (I happened to catch it on video.) Since then you've given us a lot of sweet laughs. It's pretty much my favorite sound in the world. You laugh most often when I change your clothes. Almost every time I pull your arm through the sleeve you laugh like it's the most fun you've ever had! I, of course, laugh when I see how happy you are and you just laugh even more. I love it!

At the beginning of this month we attempted to wean you off of your swaddle. We started by putting you in a sleep sack, turning the sleeves inside out, and safety pinning them down. It was absolutely ridiculous! What was even more ridiculous was that you woke up every morning with your elbows sticking out of the arm holes like little chicken wings. It was a sad, pathetic, sight. As soon as we stopped the tight swaddles you stopped sleeping through the night. That lasted all of about 4 nights before we went back to swaddling. When we put you back in the swaddle you literally sighed in relief. Then one morning we woke up and found you like this:

Thankfully, that morning you rolled over and the swaddle was history. You now sleep on your tummy and you immediately went back to sleeping through the night like a champ. I know the "experts" tell us not to put you to sleep on your belly but you sleep so well! We're all much happier campers.

Your first Thanksgiving was wonderful and full of lots and lots of family! It's hard to believe that in a year you'll be sitting in a high chair and eating the yummy meal with us. Thanksgiving with Gaga and Papaw had a few snags and hang ups, but it didn't change the fact that we loved being together and eating amazing food! Gaga even bought you a special Thanksgiving outfit.

I am excited about the month to come! You're growing and changing so quickly and this season will be filled with amazing lights and sights and experiences. I can't wait to watch you enjoy your first Christmas. Your daddy and I love you so much! You are my precious little Pumpkin Doodle and I am so honored to be your Mommy. I can't believe how fast you're growing and how much fun we're having together! I love you sweet baby boy! Don't grow too quickly, ok?

Love,

Mommy

How to run errands with a newborn

First, you need a newborn. I chose my almost 4 month old giant of a baby boy. You can chose any baby you find yourself particularly attached to. (Or feel free to borrow mine.) Next, you need a list of errands to run. I chose to take Hubsters his forgotten wallet so he could eat lunch, return a few things at Target, and get a package of diapers because we were pretty much completely out. I figured while I was out I might as well grab a carton of milk and a loaf of bread. 

Step 1: Make sure everyone is well fed - mom, baby, and puppy dogs.
Step 2: Get mom dressed while baby lays on the bed and cries. It helps if you sing silly songs and dance around the room in an attempt to cheer the baby up.
Step 3: Once mom is dressed, pick baby up and take dirty laundry to the hamper.
Step 4: Put the baby back on the bed and change the clothes that are suddenly covered in spit up.
Step 5: Change socks because they no longer match your shirt.
Step 6: Get baby dressed in the cutest outfit possible. Put on the last diaper in the house.
Step 7: Gather items needed for errands while carrying baby - make sure there's a fresh burp cloth over your shoulder to catch any spit up or drool.
Step 8: Say good-bye to the puppies and head to the car.
Step 9: Turn around and come back in to clean up the spit up running down your arm, down the baby's arm, covering the baby's side, and dripping down your back.
Step 10: Change the baby. Get a fresh burp cloth.
Step 11: Change your shirt. Realize that you no longer have any clean shirts that match your pants. Change your pants. Decide no one will see your socks in your tennis shoes so leave them alone.
Step 12: Get baby in car seat and start the car.
Step 13: Hear baby fill his diaper.
Step 14: Sigh.
Step 15: Go to the store and pray his dirty diaper isn't that bad because there aren't anymore diapers in the house.
Step 16: After delivering the Hubster's wallet, arrive at Target. As you put baby in the baby carrier, realize the car seat is very wet.
Step 17: Realize your hand is very wet.
Step 18: Put baby back in the car seat and go in Target anyway. (Going home at this point won't really help - there's no diapers at home anyway!)
Step 19: Clean up the spit up on your shoulder and back.
Step 20: Decide the milk and bread at Target is way over-priced and just buy diapers and milk storage bags.
Step 21: Drive to Walmart for milk and bread.
Step 22: Go home and pray the wet spot on the car seat isn't that bad.
Step 23: Put the baby in the bathtub fully clothed and hose him down.
Step 24: Do laundry and scrub the tub.
Step 25: Vow that you'll never run out of diapers again or leave the house without a change of clothes (for both of you).

Adventures at the Zoo

This post could have had so many titles...

Adventures at the Zoo
Adventures in Mis-Speaking
How to make your friends tease you for life
How not to identify animals
How to jump to conclusions
The time DJ spoke too soon

I could go on.
But I won't. You'd much rather read the adventure story.

So there we were... We'd been at the zoo most of the day and we were all very tired. DJ was headed towards a trail and spotted what looked like an empty cage. However people were gathered at the fence so I asked what was going on. He glanced over, saw the hip/hind end of an animal, and spoke a sentence that will live on in family stories for the rest of his days. "Oh look! It's more elephants! But like, a different kind of elephant." He then started to walk away. Since elephants are my favorite animal at the zoo I was very excited to see this "different kind of elephant" so I headed towards the cage. As I rounded to the corner I was shocked to see that this elephant was a very different elephant indeed!



Meet Moro. The rhino.

I laughed so hard I nearly fell down. I know I was doubled over for several minutes. I threatened to get out my pre-k flash cards and laughed some more. The rest of the zoo trip everyone teased DJ about it. "Look DJ - a different kind of bird!" "Hey DJ! There's a picture of your elephant!"

Sweet DJ continues to say he only saw the color of the skin and the hind end or hip of the animal in question. He spoke without seeing the animal. But that doesn't change the fact that he called a rhino an elephant.

We teased him (and continue to tease him) mercilessly. And that's how we narrowly escaped death...

My sister would like me to mention penguins. We saw penguins at the zoo. African penguins. We even got to see one up close in a little pet taxi. The zookeeper said she wasn't a happy camper because she'd just gotten a procedure. We let her move on her way. But she was cute. I'd love to own a penguin. But I don't think the dogs would like that very much...

3 months

Dear Caleb,

Today I was looking for something in the list of blog posts and I suddenly realized that I never wrote a post about you turning 3 months old! I think we've just been having so much fun and spending so much time loving on you that I completely forgot about updating your stats! I'm tempted to feel like a bad mommy, but I won't. First of all, it's silly to feel bad about not blogging your every move. Second of all, I didn't do it because I was way too busy spending time with you! So no guilt. Just a late post. That may be lacking in a few details (like your weight at the 3 month mark). Don't worry though - you're growing plenty big! You're completely out of 0-3 month clothing and I keep finding 3-6 month pajamas that are too short. Holy moly baby boy!



It's a little blurry because you were talking, but I love your smile!



You continue to be the most easy going baby I've ever met. You are full of lots of smiles, the occasional giggle, plenty of baby talk, and (most recently) an adorable squeal! You have your daddy's easy going side and your momma's happy, bubbly side. What a great mix!

I thought for sure you'd be a thumb sucking baby by now. However, that thumb remains stubbornly tucked in your fist and you'd much rather suck on your knuckles! It makes your entire hand wet and drool dribbles everywhere but I think it's adorable. I tell people you're not a thumb baby - you're a fist baby! You still prefer your paci at night (and during naps) but as soon as you are sleeping un-swaddled I have a feeling that's going to change.



Staring at your best friend, the ceiling fan.

You continue to be an amazing sleeper with the exception of one week when you refused to nap for more than 30 minutes. I think that was a big week for you though - you suddenly had a ton of new skills and couldn't stand to miss a single moment of trying them out. You're napping like the champion sleeper you have always been once again, but that week was a rocky one for sure! You love to sleep on your tummy and nap best that way, but at night you're still on your back in a double swaddle. At night you generally sleep an amazing 11 hours! By the time you wake up you're ready to play (and more than a little hungry).



You'd rather sleep face down but Mommy keeps moving your head!

This month has been a mystery for me in terms of nursing. I told your daddy at the beginning of the month that we had finally figured out a routine - awake for an hour and a half, sleep for an hour and a half. It was easy to follow and you were rocking it. Then, suddenly, one day you would only nurse for 2 minutes and you were done. You just about sent me into a tail spin little boy! We spent 2 weeks trying to figure out what was going on. We tried eating every 4 hours (sometimes every 5) but nothing seemed to really work. You remained happy and everyone I spoke to assured me that you were fine, even if my heart of hearts was quite troubled by this sudden change in events. I finally resigned myself to the fact that you were growing up and didn't need to nurse as often. (I may have cried a little.) Then, one day you woke up starving and have been hungry ever since. You're back to eating every 3 hours (if not every 2 and a half) and act like you're starving every time. You have added a wonderful addition to nursing that I never expected. In the middle of nursing you'll suddenly look up at me and start talking and grinning. Milk dribbles down  your chin but you don't care. You just seem so excited to see me and it melts my heart. Occasionally you'll go back to eating only to remember one more thing you needed to tell your momma. It's a precious time and I'm so glad you're not sticking with the 4-5 hour routine. I was missing you like crazy!





Tummy time has taken on an all new dimension now that you've learned to push up with your arms. You can finally get your head high enough to look around and I think you like it! Your favorite thing to do is watch TV, but I try my best not to let you see more than a few seconds. :) You have fallen in love with your mirrors! You talk and smile at the sweet baby in the reflection. You have a few toys you enjoy watching us shake, but you aren't too interested in reaching out and grabbing them yet. You can roll from your back to your side, but rolling over from your tummy has eluded you. I read in a magazine that the bigger the baby the longer it takes to learn how to roll over. You've got a lot of belly to flip over and those thunder thighs have to be heavy for you to lift up! It'll happen eventually - and until then I'm enjoying the fact that I can leave you on the bed for a few seconds without worrying about you rolling off.





We continue to go to Bible Study and MOPS. You're learning the ladies that sit at my MOPS table and have started awarding them with a few of your adorable gummy smiles! They're all in love with you and I don't blame them one bit!

 



The biggest moment of this month was Baby Dedication Sunday. Your daddy and I stood up in front of our church, our friends, and our family, and promised to raise you to love the Lord. Despite your daddy being very sick with a stomach bug, it was a wonderful day! Gaga, PaPaw, and Aunt Megan all came to see you on this special day. Granny, Granddaddy, Allison, and Alex joined us at church (and dinner after). Everyone was so excited for our family! We have so much to teach you about the God who made you and loves you more than I can even fathom. I am so excited for the years ahead as we get to watch you learn to worship Him! (Your Aunt Megan took a ton of beautiful pictures and uploaded them to Snapfish, but I can't for the life of me figure out how to get them off the website and saved on my computer so I can share them with the world. I'll figure it out one day - I'm determined!)



Your daddy and I love you so much Pumpkin! You continue to be the biggest blessing in our lives - more than we could ever dream or imagine! I love you my sweet Caleb! You are my favorite snuggle bug!

Love,

Mommy

Happy

The following conversation occurred in our house this morning. The names have not been changed to protect the innocent.

Alli: (calling from the kitchen) How's Caleb doing in there?
DJ: He's happy.
A: Happy as a clam?
D: Are clams really that happy?
A: They must be!

A little later in the morning...

DJ: (looking at Caleb playing with his kick gym) Look at him! He's as happy as a lark!
Alli: Are larks happy?
D: They're as happy as clams I suppose.
A: What other animals are happy? I mean, can you be as happy as a giraffe?
D: I don't think giraffes are happy.
D and A: (in perfect, spontanious union) Aww, poor giraffes!

Hallowed Ground

Today I'm keenly aware of how fast Caleb is growing up. I looked at him in the cradle this morning and was shocked to realize the cradle that once seemed so large was now filled end to end with baby. During floor time today Caleb mastered playing with a toy he's been fiddling with for a month. This week we've moved nursing from every 3 hours to every 4 during the day. Nursing sessions that once lasted an exhausting 45 minutes now fly by at only 10 minutes. So when my (not so little) boy fought his nap with every ounce of his 3 month old being, I set aside my to do list. I stopped worrying about dishes to be washed and laundry to be put away. As I leaned over his crib and patted his bottom until my back ached, I realized something. I was standing on hallowed ground. This moment wouldn't last forever. This moment was a sacred moment of just me and my son. He won't need me forever. He won't want to snuggle forever. Then I thought of my friend with empty arms because Jesus called her baby home too soon. I thought of my friend who is being called home to Jesus and her babies won't have their momma to rock them to sleep. I thought of my own mother who can't rock her babies to sleep because they're rocking babies of their own. So there I stood, on holy ground, knowing how I'd longed to be a mother, knowing how blessed I was to have not just any baby but THIS baby, knowing how lucky I am to stay home while Caleb is young. There in that moment I had 2 options: continue to attempt to get Caleb to sleep in a cold crib, all alone; or scoop up my bundle of joy and hold him for as long as he'd let me. Now here I sit - on the hallowed ground of my rocking chair - while my baby fights nap time in my arms. I wouldn't dream of my day going any other way!

Pioneer Woman I am not...

My son spits up. He spits up a lot. Sometimes it's cute because he smiles while it runs down his chin. Sometimes it's not so cute when we're running late and he soaks us both. My original plan was to use receiving blankets to wipe up dribbles and use an occasional cloth diaper to clean the bigger spit ups. The reality is that I now own 31 burp rags and never leave the house without 2 tucked in the diaper bag, one in the car seat, and usually one across my shoulder. We have them everywhere!!! Therefore, it's rather frustrating that one package of burp rags isn't as thick and absorbent as the others. I dread when those are at the top of the pile and I end up with one of those across my shoulder. I just know it's one good spit up away from soaking through to my shirt. So when someone mentioned to me this morning that I could make them more absorbent by boiling them for 10 minutes I was thrilled. I immediately put it on my to do list! Therefore, when I was folding laundry this afternoon and discovered that all 10 of the bag rags were clean at once I quickly pulled out my largest pot. The story of my adventure follows:

So there we were, enjoying a quiet Friday afternoon. Caleb was peacefully napping and I was ready to get these burp rags in the pot! At first I attempted to stuff all 10 in one pot, but I quickly discovered they wouldn't fit. I figured 5 rags at a time wasn't too bad so I shoved them in there and filled the pot with water. I turned the stove on high, poked the burp rags with some tongs a few times, and walked away. Then, my ADD exhausted new mommy brain took over and I took total leave of my senses. I began putting things away around the house. I picked up the stuff that mysteriously accumulates on the coffee table, I examined my hair do in the mirror, I told myself if I was a good stay at home mom I'd hang up those clean clothes thrown in the chair, I sat down and began reading blogs of people I don't even know. And then I heard it. That unmistakable sound of water boiling over and hitting a very hot stove top. I'm not sure how the lap top got to the floor - I may have thrown it, I may have dropped it, or I may have set it down gently - I just know that I high tailed it to the kitchen to assess the damage. The water was boiling over so violently that I wasn't quite sure how to grab the pot and pull it away. I reached around and turned off the burner and then managed to grab the pot and slide it to a cooler part of the stove. And then I just stood there, staring at my steaming pot of burp rags and water boiling away on a hot burner. (Praise the Lord for a glass-top stove!) Suddenly I realized I had no plan for what to do with the burp rags now that I'd boiled them and I had no idea how long they'd been boiling. Should I let everything cool and then try again with the next batch? Should I keep boiling this batch? Should I try to remove these burp rags and try to use the already hot water for the other batch? When I did remove the burp rags where in the world was I going to put them? So I stood there, literally scratching my head, and wondering what I'd gotten myself into...

I finally decided that my best bet was to pull the burp rags out with some tongs and put them in a bowl. However, when I got to the cabinet I realized my biggest plastic bowl was in the fridge full of yummy leftovers. So I had no choice but to use my large stainless steel mixing bowl. As I stood there holding steaming hot boiled burp rags I realized a metal bowl was not my best option. But what was I going to do? I couldn't really wander around the kitchen with a drippy cloth diaper clutched in my tongs... So I loaded up the metal bowl and careful drained out the excess water. I left it to cool on the counter and added the other 5 burp rags to the pot. I was determined not to make the same mistake this time, so I didn't add any water and I never left the stove. As I sat there poking at my pot of fabric I wondered how many homemakers had done this before. How many women had boiled their clothes in an effort to clean them? Suddenly it dawned on me. I am no pioneer woman. I'm so firmly attached to my 21st century luxuries I would make a horrible pioneer! I smelled something burning and furiously began stirring the burp rags around in an attempt to stop the fabric from burning and sticking to the bottom of the pot, much like cheese or noodles tend to do. Then it hit me - the fabric wasn't burning. It was the water and minerals on the bottom of the pot that were cooking off as the burner heated up. I rolled my eyes and thanked the Lord for putting me in this century and not the 1800s.

I carefully watched the clock to know when the burp rags would be finished, but completely forgot to remember what time they started boiling. I just knew what time it currently was. As I stood there attempting to stir fabric, I left my wrist over the pot a little too long. I now have several small red spots where the bling on my bracelet heated up and burned my skin. (I'm telling you - ADD exhausted new mommy brain is the worst!) When I got tired of poking at the burp rags I decided that enough was enough and took them off the burner. Then I was met with another debate - what bowl did I use now? The first batch was still steaming so I knew I couldn't touch them quite yet. Then suddenly I remembered! We had several large plastic bowls we keep for serving chips at all the many wild parties we throw. I could use one of those!

So now I have 2 bowls of steaming burp rags sitting on my counter. One bowl is way too hot to touch and the other is pretty and purple with little polka dots around the top. I'm not sure what to do from here. I attempted to pick up a burp rag, only to discover that the top had cooled nicely but the bottom retained its heat like you wouldn't believe! So I turned the burp rags over like the strangest tossed salad anyone has ever seen, and left them to cool. I don't know if they're more absorbent or not. I know they're hot! I know that pretty purple bowls work better for hot things than stainless steel. I know that I am not a pioneer woman. And that's how I narrowly escaped death...

Today

Today, I had big plans. Special, wonderful, amazing plans. My dear friend Brandi was supposed to come visit. She and her husband were going to spend the night. I was supposed to get to spend two days in a row with her! We were going to have uninterrupted visiting. Visits that weren't interrupted by a nurse coming to draw blood or another bag of chemo hooked up to an IV. I had dreams of telling her all of my adventures in mothering and hearing the latest updates from her 2 sweet children. It was going to be a little taste of heaven right here in my living room.

But yesterday, Caleb started coughing. The doctor said it's probably nothing major. It's probably just a cold. But it could be much more. It could be something as scary as RSV. So Brandi can't come.

You see, 16 months ago Brandi woke up and had some trouble walking. Thinking she'd had a stroke, her husband took her to the hospital. The doctors said it wasn't a stroke. It was cancer. Brain cancer. A scary, aggressive tumor that had taken hold of her precious brain. The details of that day are forever etched in my memory like some horrible, awful, never ending nightmare. In the past 16 months Brandi and her husband have thrown their heart and soul into the fight against the tumors in her brain. A month ago, the scan showed what no one wanted to see. The tumors were growing. When I found out my heart dropped. Growth? There couldn't be growth! We'd been praying! We had a connection with a God bigger than cancer. How could there be growth?!?!

Brandi immediately started aggressive chemo. In the past month, she hasn't been feeling well. Everything looks like the cancer is winning. I wish I had words to describe how I feel. Because Caleb has a little cough, Brandi can't come see me. It's just too risky. I spent a good part of the morning crying in my selfishness that I wouldn't get to see Brandi today. Then I cried that Brandi might be called home. I wanted to kick and scream and beat my fists against the chest of an almighty God. God, being the amazing Father that He is, let me throw my temper tantrum, then quietly sat me down in my favorite chair and told me to pick up my Beth Moore Bible study. I rolled my eyes at the sight of the book because I'm so far behind on the homework assignments. (Life with a newborn is more of a challenge than I thought it would be!) But I couldn't shake the quiet whisper in my heart that said I needed to pick up the book and get in the Word. So I did. And in big, beautiful letters across the top of the page were words that I know were written just for me.

"Every good and perfect gift comes from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with Him there is no shadow or change." (James 1:17)

It's one of Brandi's favorite verses. Her blog is built around it. And suddenly, it felt like Brandi was in my living room - that little piece of heaven I'd been longing for. The Lord reminded me that my life was full of good and perfect gifts. Brandi and I have been friends for years and I've been blessed by her wisdom a thousand times over. She's a good and perfect gift in my life. I know that I'll get to spend eternity with her praising a God who never changes!

Today is not what I dreamed it would be. But today God had a fantastic plan that was bigger than my little plans. So I'll trust that whatever happens at her doctor's appointment tomorrow is a beautiful part of His plan. I'll trust that His healing is complete and perfect - whether it's on this earth or in a beautiful homecoming. God is still God. That's all I need to know...

2 Months

Dear Caleb,

You are 2 months old! Wow! I'm amazed at how much you've grown this month. You are still a very easy going baby and seem to grow happier with each passing day. I love seeing your sweet smile several times a day now. You even rewarded us on your 2 month birthday with the most precious little giggle! Thank you for waiting until we were both with you to laugh for the first time. :- )



Your outfit here says "So Big!"



Note to Mommy: Don't wait until AFTER you get shots to take the monthly pictures!



At the beginning of the month you were still struggling with some awful gassiness and cried like you were in horrible pain. I hated every moment of it! Not long after your 1 month birthday I realized that you were fussiest after I had a glass of milk. (My absolute favorite drink!) As soon as I stopped drinking milk, you stopped crying. Over the course of the month I've cut back on more and more dairy and you've nursed better and better. We hardly ever have any problems with painful gas now! Even though I've had to give up some of my very favorite foods, it's all worth it just so we can continue breastfeeding. You are a champion nurser and are growing like a weed! At your 2 month check up you weight 15.5 pounds - that's the 98th percentile! However, you were only in the 9th percentile for height at a tiny 22". (That's less than an inch of growth since birth.) Your daddy and I are pretty convinced they measured you wrong because we can see your growth in your car seat, bouncer, and swing. You're also quickly growing out of 0-3 month clothing. Mommy is shocked to see you fitting comfortably in 3-6 month outfits!



Where is Caleb?

I still love staying home with you. We make a pretty good team throughout the day. Some days we have a fantastic routine, other days that routine is right out the window from the first moment of the day. We go to ladies Bible study on Tuesday mornings and you are a HIT! The ladies love passing you around. You usually nap through the teaching time which is perfect. Every other Friday we go to MOPS and you get to be a Moppet. Right now you're staying with me, but you'll eventually go to the nursery with the other Moppets.



What a cute little boy you are!

You like tummy time a lot more than you did last month - especially now that you have a lot more neck strength! We've tried playing with toys but you're not quite ready. I don't mind. Just seeing you smile when you see my face (or the ceiling fan or window) is more than enough for me! This month has been full of smiles and it's wonderful. You have lots of coos and talk more each day. I feel you're destined to be a talker with the mom and dad you've been given.



Enjoying some tummy time with Daddy! Look at the strong neck!



What a sweet face!


When I was pregnant with you we prayed and prayed that you'd be a good sleeper. (Mommy doesn't do too well with a lack of sleep!) The Lord answered our prayers with a clear, resounding, "YES!" You slept 8 hours through the night at 5 and a half weeks. Now you're consistently doing 8 hours each night with a few 10 hour nights thrown in the mix. I must admit, I love it! After a quick feeding you're usually back to sleep in a few minutes and sleep for several more hours. You generally get a total of 12 hours of sleep each night. I'm so glad you're a good sleeper! Just like your momma, you love to have a handful of blanket when you fall asleep. You still enjoy being swaddled, but you seem to get your hands out of every swaddle we put you in! So you've taken a few naps on your tummy and napped really well. Our biggest struggle right now is keeping that silly pacifier in your mouth! With your arms tightly swaddled you can't do much to help so we've spent lots of late nights holding that paci in your mouth until you finally fall sound asleep. We are ready for you to learn to suck your thumb or stick the paci back in your mouth all by yourself!



Finally passed out!

All swaddled up! You look so snuggly!

That didn't last long! (Don't worry I moved the blanket away from your face shortly after you put it there!)

iPaci - Daddy's solution to the pacifier falling out!

Both hands wiggled free of the swaddle! You're like Houdini!

This month Gaga pulled out my baby photos and we discovered something shocking! You look just like me at your age! We found several pictures where we have the exact same expression on our faces. It's crazy! Until that point we had really thought you favored your daddy. Now when I look at your face I see a little mini-me. Your face is a little longer, your nose a little wider - but there's no doubt that you're mine! When I was little I always felt like no one in the family looked like me. I dreamed of having a baby that looked like me, even when no one in my family did. I'm so excited to see your blonde hair and big blue eyes. (I also love, love, LOVE those fat rolls on your arms and legs. You're just so precious!)



Mommy at 6 weeks



Caleb at 6 weeks

We are falling more in love with you each day. It is so fun being your Mom! I love watching your little personality develop. You are such a happy, easy going baby. There are days that I'm absolutely shocked that the Lord has blessed me with you. The Lord is so good to us and I can't wait to teach you all about Him! I love you sweet pumpkin doodle!



Your shirt says "Daddy's Best Friend"



Sweet, sleepy cuddles

Love,

 Mommy

A Dream Come True

When I was pregnant we had lots of conversations about whether baby Hammond would be a boy or a girl. We were both very torn about what we were having, however, I couldn't fathom the idea of a little boy. I wanted a girl so bad I could cry. I was terrified at the thought of having a boy! I knew nothing about having boys! Then one night, I had a dream. Even now, months later, I can still remember vivid details about that dream and it warms my heart. In my dream I was in the delivery room and my doctor handed me a beautiful baby boy with a head full of dark hair. He was a big baby but he was beautiful and he was mine. I snuggled him for a long time and even got to breastfeed in my dream. When I woke up, I cried. The dream was so real I felt like someone had taken my baby boy from me. I had an ache in my heart the rest of the day. Suddenly, in my heart, I knew this baby was a boy and I was thrilled to pieces. I couldn't imagine life any other way. Of course my first born was a boy! So that afternoon I went to Target and bought an outfit. I left the tags on and taped the receipt on the hanger - just in case. In the weeks that followed I had several more dreams and in every single one of them, the baby was a boy. Therefore, I wasn't very surprised when our sweet ultra sound tech told us the baby in my womb was, in fact, a boy. I cried tears of joy and my hands shook from excitement.

Today, I got out that little outfit I bought months ago. I was so excited to put it on my little boy. As I told him the story behind the clothes he was about to wear he looked at me and smiled. My heart soared as I dressed my dream come true. God has been so wonderful as He poured out blessings on our little family!

1 month pictures

I've had the same best friend since I was 4 years old. That's a whopping 25 years of friendship, laughter, and inside jokes. I often call her my womb to tomb friend. She's quite the special person in my life... For a very special baby gift, she decided to take some beautiful baby pictures of Caleb. So the day after Caleb turned a month old she came to visit and we spent an entire day photographing the cutest little boy on the planet. :) It is literally impossible for any of us to choose a favorite, so here's a random sampling of the pictures we enjoy. I think I could make an entire scrapbook of just the photos from that day. Thank you Natalie for a ton of fun and some amazing pictures!



I could kiss these cheeks all day!




Wearing Daddy's tie, all ready to begin his teaching career!




In the midst of taking pictures, Caleb grabbed the tie and started chowing down. Don't worry, I fed him soon after this picture was taken!



Sleeping angel



Napping with Pooh




I love that it looks like he fell asleep reading! Starting him off right!




Great baby, great name!



"I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
How wonderful are Your works, I know that full well."
Psalm 139:14



I have no words. The cuteness just oozes from this picture!



This is Caleb's life verse:
"But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendents shall possess it."
Numbers 14:24



I have a teddy bear just like this that I've loved on since I was 8 years old. Natalie searched the internet for days until she found a brand new bear, just like my Teddy. This is now Caleb's Teddy.




Another sweet sleeping angel! I love the fat rolls on his arms!




I love the expression on his face here!



One last picture in the Star Wars onesie for Daddy. (The snaps now come to his belly button.)
I just love the expression on his face here too!



Hiding from the paparazzi



Word to your mother!

What a sweet little smile!

I love the expression on DJ's face! He's such a proud Daddy!