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!