the Bump

table manners

2010-08-17T03:21:00.000-07:00

I realize it's a little late in the game to be teaching a little boy table manners, but better late than never. Right?

Over the months, we've been letting a lot of little things slide when it came to his eating habits, and they've gradually developed into some rather unacceptable behavior. Typically at meal or snack time, we (the parents) would set his food on the bare table in front of him like when he was in a high chair, sometimes in a bowl, and he would eat with his hands. When he got bored with that he'd smear it around and throw it on the floor, we'd get after him and move on to whatever else was on the menue. He was also constantly grazing, especially since he learned that if he said the word "bite" (which he is very good at now) and hovered around the refrigerator or cupboards, he was likely to get something to munch on. His favorite treats are pickles ("poo-koo") and olives ("ouv"). Go figure, the two foods I can't stand. Also crackers ("ka-kah"), which consist of Ritz, saltines, and graham, as well as chips, and pretzels.

When it came to drinks, no matter what you gave him and in what kind of cup, he was guaranteed to make a mess unless constantly monitored. A simply cup with a lid and straw would be tipped upside-down and shaken until all the contents were on the table (or floor and couch, if he was portable). Sometimes he'd figure out how to pop the lid off entirely so he could drink like a big boy, and that was an even bigger disaster. When we switched to spill-proof cups, he found a sneaky, more creative way - he'd drink the milk/juice/water/smoothie and then promptly spit it back out, down his clothes, onto the table, into a cup... Needless to say, I've been doing a lot of mopping.

It certainly doesn't help that his favorite game is to move things from one container to another, over and over again. This includes toys, food, and yes, liquids - hence, the origin of most of his messes. I realize that's part of babydom: playing with whatever's in the arsenal, exploring different possibilities, and repet, repeat, repeat. The part that I'm not okay with is him thinking he can waste food and give me so much extra work cleaning up and trying to figure out what else to feed him, because when he's begging for food or drink an hour later, I have very little sympathy for him. Just enough to do my best to accomodate him, which I'm sure is why he knows his scheming works, and he has me in the palm of his little chubby hands.

So we're trying something different. Plates! and silverware! This way he can feel like he's independant and see what he's expected to eat, and we can see what he actually has eaten instead of trying to judge based on how much food is on the floor. This was one thing I dislike most about our old methods - not knowing if he'd had enough to eat or not. Sometimes at the end of the day, I'd ask myself "What has he really eaten today?" What do you do when a kid refuses everything you offer him? You put your foot down and just let him learn his lesson? Well I guess we'll give it a try.

(Our secret for getting Caleb to smile for posed shots is to ask him "Where are your teeth?"... which is why we get a lot of cheesey -looking grins like this. Some of them look more natural than others.)

Things have been going a little more smoothly since we started this method, but he still has trouble using a fork and spoon (though he insists on trying and won't hardly eat with his hands anymore), he tries to be like Daddy and stab at his food (which never works), and he has a tendancy to flip his plate clean over.

In the last month or so, we've been experimenting with wheat and oatmeal (we used to avoid feeding him either because he used to have a really bad rash, and they seemed to be related), and it turns out he's not allergic to either. Hallelujah! It makes it SO much easier to pick out foods for him, especially since he can usually just eat a little of what Mommy and Daddy are eating instead of us having to make him something special.

Here's our little man eating his first real PB&J. He has something against certain kinds of foods, and for whatever reason, sandwhiches seem to fall under that category. He wouldn't even consider eating it until I smeared some jam on his lip and he realized the contents of that sandwhich were delicious, and even then he only ate part of it. He kept trying to "share" with me. He's actually really good at sharing, especially when it comes to fruit snacks :).

About once a month, without any warning, he gets bored with his go-to foods, the ones we feed him pretty much every day because we know he'll eat them, and we have to think of something else to give him. At the moments, string cheese, turkey dogs, crackers, anything mushy, and pretty much all fruit has just expired (vegetables went a while ago), so we're being forced to get creative.

Last night, after a very necessary trip to Golden Corral, where they're sure to have something Caleb will eat, we got a few things for him that I think will be instant favorites. I'm especially excited about the Fruit-Fusion juice (100% veggie and fruit juice), and especially the enriched vegetable wacky noodles. We'll see how he likes those. Luckily, I think I can count on a few things a little longer, like cereals and sweet potato fries, and he still likes milk. And at least I can HOPE that these eating habits of his are going to get better.

Tantrums...

2010-08-15T12:08:00.000-07:00

... are here.

mowing

2010-08-11T15:23:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we take care of the yard work while Caleb's napping, so we don't have to constantly chase him around to keep him from playing in the street, or covering himself in dirt ("dut"), or soaking himself in the pool of water he makes when he turns the water spigot on full blast, or petting the neighborhood dogs, which are neither friendly nor clean... and so he's not wandering into the long, tick-infested grass nearby. It's just easier when we know he's sound asleep in his bed, in his air-conditioned room.

Other times, we know he's aching to get out of the house and play. Sure he gets hot and sweaty and filthy, and he throws a fit when we have to go back inside, but he has so much fun out there, it's not too hard to give in. Mostly he entertains himself with activities listed above, but he also really likes to help with whatever we're doing. On this day, we discovered a silly use for that myserious bar that most push-behind mowers have in their mid-section. It's so little boys can do a little pushing of their own.

He's so happy to be contributing. It was pretty hard to turn around and maneuver corners with him down there, so it was slow going, but he sure was enjoying himself, and we got several smiles out of it too!

He'd take a break once in a while to investigate a stick or a butterfly or a mushroom ("Please don't eat it! It's orange... that can't be a good sign"), but the he'd come back and do some hard labor. As you can see below, he didn't even stop to eat his mini-bagel - just took the thing along with hi, nibbling on it for a bit then shoving the rest of it in his mouth so he could have both hands free to MOW!

So serious! What a goober.

Of course, mowing isn't his only specialty. He also likes to rake, and occasionally aerate patches of dirt if we're going to plant grass. He even spread some seed with me last time. Now that was a good time.

little sneak

2010-08-08T16:51:00.000-07:00

Since Caleb learned to climb on things a few weeks ago, he's been getting into a lot of trouble. If it's a first offense, we try to be easy on him, but if he knows it's wrong (and we know he knows), it's really infuriating, especially when he could get hurt, or get ahold of something he shouldn't.

For a while, his favorite trick was getting on the couch and magically appearing on the ground beside the armrest, which, given the old location of our kitchen table, required some serious acrobatics. Now he's seeking greener pastures, climbing onto the chairs to get to the kitchen table. He'll usually play with the pepper shaker (inevitably followed by a fit of the most adorable sneezes), or ransack the secret hiding place for his pacifiers (that top right drawer behind him), which is fairly harmless. But of course, the one day I have a chocolate mousse pie to divvy up between the adults, someone gets to it first.

What a little sneak! I had to let him have some fun with it, and take a few pictures, of course, and then he was reprimanded accordingly - "Caleb, please don't climb." But the worst punishment I could've ever given him was taking that pie away. Boy, was he MAD!

I'd like to say I learned my lesson not to leave anything where he might possibly get to it, but he's big enough to get into the junk drawer where we keep our scissors, the dishwasher where we often have knives, and the edge of the countertops where there are sometimes heavy, sharp, raw, or otherwise not-good-for-a-baby items. After one or two knife-in-hand incidents (which after confiscating said knife I proceeded to have a heart attack) and a dozen foreign-objects-being-inserted-into-ear incidents, I've decided that no amount of baby-proofing is going to be enough. I just have to constantly keep an eye on him.

revealing images

2010-08-07T19:29:00.000-07:00

Caleb has this Little People, Big Discoveries DVD that came with a toy set Gran got him for Easter. We never put it on for him much until we moved into this house, and we'd occasionally put it on after his Your Baby Can Read programs. Then I learned that if I put it on the French or Spanish version, I could repeat it several times and actually get some work done around the house. Pretty soon he was the one asking for "Mo'... mo'... mo'..." That is until the disc fell on the ground one day and by trying to pick it up, he rubbed it on our hardwood floors and rendered it unplayable.

But I'm not here to tell you about Les Petit Peuple, Les Grandes Decouvertes. That was just to explain the image on the TV in the picture below. I'm here to share a few very silly pictures.

Right now, I had just witnessed Caleb remove himself from the sleeve of his long-sleeved onesie, for no apparent reason.

Minutes later, he ran away from me while I was changing his diaper.

How could I NOT take pictures?

Actually, this reminds me of a picture sequence from Halloween when I was... 5, I think.

Doesn't leave much for the imagination, does it?

toddler bed

2010-08-06T11:30:00.000-07:00

On the subject of moving Caleb out of a crib and into a toddler bed, I myself have been planning to wait until we move back to Washington and get settled into our house/apartment in Bellingham, so we can deal with all the transitions at the same time. Instead or drawing them out and having several difficult weeks, maybe we'd only have a few while he was getting used to all the new stuff.

However, since Michael was gone for all of Caleb's other major milestones (first haircut, first words, self-feeding, sign language, sleep training, walking), he was excited to go ahead with this one. So we bought our 18-month-old a "big kid's bed" and tried it out.

The first nap was a disaster, mostly because he just didn't want to sleep. And I don't think he liked the mattress on his new bed; the one in his crib was much firmer. Any other day he would've just stayed it his crib, contently talking or singing until he decided he wanted out, or to take a snooze afterall. This time he could get out of his bed and cry at the door, and he did so, even after a few visits from me and Michael, putting him back down and reminding him it was time to go "night-night." Needless to say, he never slept, and we went on with our day debating whether to switch back to his crib, or stick it out.

That night, however, he was so tuckered out that after a proper bedtime routine (and swapping mattresses), he layed right down and passed out. We were so happily surprised that we decideded it might be for the best afterall, and slept through the night without any incident.

Our thoughts on the benefit of a toddler bed are that he can sit down in it with us to read his books for bedtime, then lay right down and go to sleep. Then when he wakes up, he can hop out of bed (without injury) and entertain himself for as long as he wants, giving me and Michael a more gradual start to the morning. We definitely wanted to beat him to the punch before he could climb out of his crib by himself (or attempt to), which seemed an eminent danger.

Sometimes he'll stay in his room for up to an hour before wanting out. We know he's at his limit when he tries to open the door, and if we don't respond to that, he'll throw books at it! One night he decided he didn't want to go to sleep yet, so he attempted, and succeeded in escaping from his room three times in a matter of five minutes, even after we made sure the door was all the way closed, and he didn't just pull on it. That means he's capable of opening doors now, and a child-proof handle was definitely going on his!

The final problem we've run into is getting him to actually stay in bed when he's supposed to. He still tosses around a bit in the night, so he's often in some pretty goofy positions when we go to check on him. Then there are the nights when he gets out of bed, plays around for a while (or screams in angst), then eventually decides he's tired... but he doesn't quite make it to the bed. The first time it happened was hilarious (picture below), but the recurring theme requres us to peek in after these episodes so we can move him.

A couple times we found him asleep on the floor, and one time he was right in front of the door! Not sure how we solved that problem... Let's just say Caleb in his big boy bed, is a work in progress.

dirty, filthy love

2010-07-15T15:35:00.000-07:00

Caleb really loves picking up rocks and splashing in puddles, mushing up dirt in his bare hands, and just getting down and dirty. Normally I ask him to keep it at a minimum so there isn't as much to clean up when he's done, but today... I decided to be a good mother and just let him have at it.

Brown shorts were a must for this adventure. Ewwwww!

Oh, and this is my favorite dog in the neighborhood. There are about a dozen mutts (along with a pure rottweiler) running around this place, and they drive us crazy! They bark at anything and everything, leave gifts of ripped up garbage and droppings in our yard, and charge us when we walk to the community dumpster every other day. I was actually attacked by three of them recently (just a scratch on my leg and a hole in my shorts - luckily Caleb wasn't with me), and have carried a weapon when venturing outside ever since. The worst part is, most of them belong to our landlord or one of his siblings (all four withing a few blocks - they're Greek).

This little white and brown lady has no name as far as I know, but she has a sweet disposition and is incredibly loyal. She protects me from the other dogs, and is the only one that never barks. I'd smother her with all the love and affection she deserves if she wasn't covered with fleas and flies, poor thing. I wish Caleb could pet her too, 'cause he loves dogs ("dah.. oof oof"). At least we can enjoy each other's company.

biker dude

2010-07-10T20:38:00.000-07:00

When Michael returned from overseas, he and I made an impulsive decision to buy two bikes and a baby seat on LeJeuneYardSales.com (kind of like a local CraigsList), and they have turned into something... important.

At first, it was just something to do together that got us out of the house, which is important in itself. Then there was the perk of a little exercise. When we found a 16-mile bike path that practically starts and ends at our house (we have to do a bit of highway driving... maybe 2 miles), it became a 2-hour cardio workout. On top of that, we discovered that we can have a long, in-depth conversation about our future (which we're oh-so-very excited about) without anything to interrupt or distract us (besides those pesky cars).

The special bonus is that Caleb seems to really enjoy it. As long as he's not tired and grumpy, and it's not too hot, and we give him a drink of water once in a while, he just sits back and takes in the scenery, listening to us rattle off and occasionally adding in some babble or singing. Plus... look how precious he is in his riding attire.

water boy

2010-07-07T11:09:00.000-07:00

We filled up our little $5 blow-up kiddie pool for the first time today, and boy was it put to use! Judging by the time lapse in my pictures, we were outside for about an hour, just splashing around, seeing what objects we could toss into the pool and fill up with water.

After a playful struggle between Momma and upside-down baby, a quick dip of his hair in the "shallow end" resulted in a toddler faux-hawk. I think it suits him nicely.

He took a few breaks from his pool to explore his surroundings, then it was back in the water.

(I love that belly! It makes him look like a frog - especially in this makeshift pond.)

Close-up!

These next two pictures crack me up, because they were taken exactly nine seconds apart. Just goes to show what kind of mood swings this little guy is prone to having.

A beautiful day, a sweet little boy, a few inches of lukewarm water... and a good time was had by all.

where's Caleb?

2010-06-28T09:17:00.000-07:00

Sadly enough, he's stuck in the cupboards.

Looks like his boyish curiousity got the better of him this time.

"Come on y'guys, help me out... Well if you're just gonna laugh and take pictures, I guess I'll have to find a way out myself!"

(For the record, we did pull him out shortly after. Just in time for him to make some more mischief, I'm sure.)

These boys...

2010-06-22T07:41:00.000-07:00

...make me so happy.

harmoni-CAN!

2010-06-10T11:18:00.000-07:00

Caleb has had this toy harmonica for a few months now, and ever since mommy showed him how to use it, he has always pretty much just stuck the thing (it didn't matter which end) up to his mouth and... hummed. That in itself, of course, was precious.

However, now that it has come out of hiding from the Great Move, he thought he'd give it another try, and thus...

We're so proud of his musical capabilities. Just a few hours after this, he was full-out dancing to the BeeJees "Oh What a Night," compliments of mommy's iPhone.

And in case any of you are wondering how the Boy is getting along with his daddy, here's another video of the duo sharing a morning snack. Grapes!

On with our day!

Daddy's little helper

2010-06-08T20:02:00.000-07:00

Now that Dad's back home, and has three weeks off of work, we've been finding lots of fun little projects to do around our "new" house, and Caleb is oh-so eager to help.

First on the list was to fix the yard. We are fortunate enough to have an awsome next-door neighbor who lets us use his washer and dryer, as well as some gardening tools, so we don't have to buy our own for the 2-3 months we'll be living here. Michael had to do some work on his lawn-mower and weed-wacker so he could tidy up the lawn, but I'd say that's definitely a fair trade-off.

So the three of us spent a few hours outside, and really enjoyed ourselves. Michael was glad to be doing something constructive, and not too laborious, Caleb mostly watched and directed (and smiled and giggled), and I took a few pictures, and made sure Caleb didn't hurt himself or get in the way.

He thought the lawn mower was fun, but then Daddy brought out the hose! "Caleb, wanna help me spray down the house and car deck?" (Trying to keep the spiders and potato bugs at bay).

"Yeah!"

"What's this? An obstacle!"

"It's okay, I got this!"

This little boy LOVED getting wet.

And we loved watching him.

Really though, who wouldn't?

Caleb loves playing outside, and will tread barefoot through pokey grass, twigs, and gravel without any complaint. Must those super-padded pudgy feet :).

This momma did her best to just sit back and let boys be boys, but when water mixed with dirt to become mud (and I could foresee that mud all over my kitchen floor), and rocks and twigs and roly-polies started making their way into Caleb's mouth... then I decided it was time to go inside, strip down and take a bath! Good thing it was close to bed-time, and one little boy was pleasantly tuckered out :).

a family photo

2010-05-28T14:26:00.000-07:00

Here's this quaint little threesome on the front steps of our humble (and temporary) abode.

Caleb may look like he's a happy camper, but really he's trying to escape from our grasp so he can climb up and down those steps. It's his favorite activity for the time being, even after his little spill a few days ago. He biffed it hard, and had scratches from his forehead to the left side of his neck (including his ear) to show for it.

There've been several falls over the last week or two, big and little, and I'm not sure what to make of it. Either he's just out of his comfort zone, he's exploring and doing more risk-taking, or he's just gotten really clumsy. Sometimes when I watch him, I think it must be the latter. I'm slowly learning to accept that it's just going to happen, and I just have to let it. He's a pretty tough kid, even for a momma's boy.

a real homecoming

2010-05-26T11:05:00.000-07:00

In fact, the most important homecoming of our lives. The day our marine comes home for good! It's been a rough seven months for our little family, and we have no idea what's in store for us after this moment, but now that Michael is on American soil again (and more importantly, back in my arms), it seems as though everything's going to be alright.

Michael's dad Chris was our camera man, and since he was also eager to greet his son, we only got this short video, and a longer one that's mostly sky and ground, but from it I snagged a few decent pictures that show our first reunited moments.

I'm never fully prepared for the rush of emotions that are inevitable at these reunions (we've had several that weren't related to a deployment), but I can't even imagine how it is for Michael, after all he's been through... After a few hugs and kisses for all three of us, his main concern was to get away from the group of dudes he's been around nonstop for over half a year, slip into something more comfortable than the cammies and gear he's been bearing the whole time, and lay down on a real bed.

Caleb, who is typically slow-to-warm-up, seems to remember Michael, though I'm afraid he's going to be a bit territorial of his momma for a while. It's been just the two of us for so long, and now my attention is going to be devided. Hopefully he realizes how cool it is to have a dad in the mix, that he's going to have some awesome experiences with him too, and that he loves him just as much as I do.

As for me, I can't believe he's home. It's so unreal, so wonderful, and I find myself staring hard at his face, and holding on tight to any part of him, just to make sure I don't waste another moment being apart from him.

Welcome home, my love.

the coolest thing since his binky

2010-05-20T13:18:00.000-07:00

Automatic doors. Better yet, four automatic doors in a row. I'm not sure what the point is, having so many, but they certainly kept Caleb entertained for a good fifteen minutes at one of the rest areas we stopped at along the way. Definitely a nice break from our four-day car ride (not to mention the tire swing out back).

We also discovered that he's fascinated by drinking fountains. At first he wanted to touch the water, then he liked putting his mouth in it (but can't figure out how to drink any), now the only thing he's interested in is getting his binky wet and shoving that back in his mouth. I wonder if we'll ever be rid of that thing? I suppose I should be glad he even takes one. It has definitely come in handy doing this many hours of non-stop driving. Toys and snacks and music were a big help as well :).

talent show

2010-03-31T12:06:00.000-07:00

Here are a some videos of Caleb showing off a few of his many talents, such as:

Climbing the stairs (he's been doing this for about over two months),

Saying "kitty" (also not such a new development),

and riding a horse (and clap for himself).

He can also say several words (and knows what a couple of them mean), but he seems to be having trouble distinguishing between "yes" and "no."

I love that he's even answering our questions now, that if you say a sentence with the right vocal inflection, he'll recognize it as something he's supposed to respond to. "Can I have a kiss?" *kiss* (my favorite)."How did you sleep?" "Guh." "What's that right there?" "Beh b-tt (belly button)." "Are you hungry?" "No." "Is there something in your pants?" "Poo-poo." "Do you want to take a nap?" *sign for sleep* ... etcetera.

our Toddler

2010-02-20T00:35:00.000-08:00

Caleb took his first steps - a couple times - right around February 8th, just a few days after his big #1. He tested his limits a bit, got up the guts to take 4-6 steps (more if he was distracted from how daring he was being), then just a few days around a pro walker, and he took off!

This video was taken at Grandma and Grandpa Stover's house (the walking influence was our niece Kayleigh), and uploaded just in time for one proud daddy to watch with a few of his buddies at some computer station in Afghanistan. A big smile and an "I told that kid to wait" formed his response. Sorry Michael, but your son's doing everything his way, at his own pace (remind you of anyone?) and all any of us can do is try not to blink and miss it.

Between learning how to walk, and say eight words in sign language, exploring his tiny nostril with his equally small finger (where did that come from?), and catching on to the dreaded "N-O" word [ dun - Dun - DUN! ], I can forsee a very exciting, and probably frustrating, stage ahead of us.

Our next endeavor: Your Baby Can Read. More on that later.

baby steps

2010-02-14T17:15:00.000-08:00

We're getting a lot of these baby steps around here, where he's mostly just falling with style, but they're still pretty exciting. Another week or two and he'll be walking for sure!

*sniff* My little boy...

transporter

2010-02-11T17:23:00.000-08:00

I honestly have no idea how he got there.

big boy in a little bath

2010-01-27T17:46:00.000-08:00

I just love seeing my baby in the buff.

Would you like some butter with those rolls dear?

sweet music

2010-01-25T19:13:00.000-08:00

It turns out that Caleb is as musically inclined as his mother and father, and all those before us. He's been whistling since he was 8 months old, started dancing sooner than that, and absolutely loves listening to whatever pretty noise goes on around him. He even sings, quite often, and that especially makes me very, very happy.

He's not really playing the piano here, just fascinated by it. Maybe once he has a little more control over his appendages, we'll see if he has a knack for it. But for now we'll just stick with the 8-key xylophone he got last week. Momma's gonna show him how to play Chipsticks, behind his back ;).

clapping

2009-11-20T16:44:00.000-08:00

I've been wondering, for a couple weeks now, when he might start clapping, and had several failed attempts to get him to try it out. It wasn't until we went to visit Grandma Cindy and Grandpa Chris that he even showed he might want to. We were told that Kayleigh (Caleb's 13-day younger cousin) has been for a while, so Grandma went right ahead and taught him how... in just a few hours!

I loved Cindy's version of the song: "Patty-cake, patty-cake, baker's man. Bake me a cake as fast as you can.... Rooolll 'em and rooolll 'em, and throw-'em-away!" Just slightly off, but she did with such enthusiasm that Caleb was having a ball. He was a pro at the patty cake game by the end of the second night, as shown here.

He's so casual about it, like he didn't just perfect the most complex skill known to 9-month-olds in a few days. Thank you Grandma for your tutelage.

Finger Food 101

2009-11-15T17:00:00.000-08:00

You can tell when he's being spoon fed, that he wants to feed himself. He has some ceral puffs available, but they have wheat and oats in them and we think he might be allergic (at least to the oats - he can't stomach anything with oatmeal in it). So we'd better try something else. How 'bout steamed sweet potatoes?

Oh yeah, he likes those. Tomorrow we'll try bananas for breakfast, maybe some squash and carrots later? The possibilities are... exciting, but not endless I'm afraid. I'm very fortunate this baby is pretty easy to please.

while packing

2009-09-29T18:17:00.000-07:00

I'm really starting to feel like a military wife with all this packing and moving and settling in, just to have to start over again because plans changed. Doing all this with a baby boy running around unchecked is even more of an experience, but it had it's entertaining moments...

I put out this empty diaper box with the idea that Caleb might want to play inside it (you know how kids are with boxes), but instead, our little explorer saw that it had potential for climbing. I snapped this picture right before the cardboard gave way and he went sliding down to the floor.

There was only so much room in the car for all the items that were going into storage, so I had to make several trips over the span of four days to get everything packed up to drive out there. Every time I went outside I closed the front door so Caleb wouldn't get out. He'd get mad that I left, come crawling to the door, then kneel beside it and try to open it (sometimes successfully if it was still open a crack), so I couldn't get back in the house without knocking him over. I decided it was best then to just leave the door open so he could keep an eye on me, and he loves being out where there's sunshine and birds and trees and so many unfamiliar things to look at.

At first he just sat there, looking around and taking in the scenery, being a good boy... Then he saw the grass and the mud, and like any other little boy, he wanted to get dirty. I could've said "yuck!" and made him stay inside and out of the mess, but I decided as long as he kept the filth out of his mouth, I didn't mind him having a little fun.

I'm glad he can keep himself entertained and stay out of trouble for the most part while I get us all packed up. Now I can only hope he can do the same on the car ride back to the homeland this weekend. We're leaving on the 2nd, hoping to be there by the 5th, so we'll be seeing some of you soon!

that's what you get

2009-09-28T15:51:00.000-07:00

"Caleb, if you play with the socks while I'm trying to sort them, I'm gonna put them on your hands. That's right. What are you gonna do now?"

getting into everything

2009-09-15T19:02:00.000-07:00

Note to self: don't leave box filled with mini bags of chips unattended while 7-month-old is on the loose. At least he's happy, and it was an easy clean-up.

Since he learned how to stand up two weeks ago, he's been testing his limits on everything he can get his hands and elbows on. The bed, the couch, the cupboards... mommy's jeans. He'll follow me into the kitchen when I'm doing dishes or cooking and use my legs to hoist himself into a standing or at least kneeling position and tug at my pants. He's lucky if I notice him creeping up on me before I accidentally knock him over. He can even open doors if they're left open a crack. We try to keep him out of the bathroom because it's "yuck," so of course that's where he wants to go more than anything. He's so inquisitive.

He's been tearing at all the books on the bottom shelf since he realized they were there, and now he can reach the second shelf. What's a mom to do? I know! Give him an old magazine he can go to town on and we'll both be happy. Seriously, he loves pages, and hearing them crinkle and rip. Thank goodness it's not one of my Twilight books!

Check out the do. And check out this face Michael's making! Right when I was pushing the button to take this picture, Caleb let out a rather gravely burp. The daddy gets easily grossed out by those kind of things - which means he hasn't changed a poopy diaper in about 7 months - but it also gave us this priceless photo.

congratulations Michael

2009-09-11T18:09:00.000-07:00

Michael received a Good Conduct Medal at his three-year mark, which means he hasn't gotten in trouble for anything since he joined the Marine Corps on September 11th, 2006. He's been through all that intense training and stress and long hours without ever being late, or violent, or drunk, or even so much as getting pulled over by a cop. As easy as it would've been to sleep in fifteen minutes, or go 5 mph over the speed limit, or not do the extra two hours of work when he just got home from thirteen... he always did what he was supposed to. I know he didn't want to get punished for doing anything like that, but he also didn't want to let me and Caleb down, and for that I am very greatful. I've heard horror stories of guys that lost their pay and had to stay in the barracks for 45 days because of stupid decisions like underage drinking, and their wives had to suffer with them. I'm glad I never have to worry about ever being in that situation, because Michael is such a good, responsible, and disciplined man.

toy box

2009-09-09T19:52:00.000-07:00

I used to put a couple small toys here and there around the livingroom for Caleb to find and hopefully keep him entertained. Now he's on to bigger and better things, like weaving through the furnature and kicking the oven because it makes a loud noise. But look, he's paying a visit to his toy box again, picking out one colorful hunk of plastic and fabric after another just for the pleasure of having the indipendence to do so. I guess I'll have to get used to an unnecessary number of toys on the ground from now on.

da-da

2009-09-08T09:14:00.000-07:00

I've been working with Caleb for over a week, drilling him on his D's so he can learn the second most important name he'll ever say. He would watch my mouth so carefully, and mimmick what my tongue was doing in my mouth, then finally he put his voice behind it and out it came... "Da-Da!" It was so beautiful.

That was five days ago and he hasn't stopped saying it since. I'm a little jealous, but mostly happy that Michael can now feel the same pride that I've enjoyed the last month and a half, that Caleb seems to know who we are and what he wants from us. He still says ma-ma when he's sad or tired or hungry, and da-da's more of a playtime word... go figure. I think he really likes how it sounds, and so do I.

And man can that boy jump!

a couple late announcements

2009-09-06T11:32:00.000-07:00

I just realized that I failed to make two very important announcements at the end of July. The first and happiest was the arrival of Caleb's newest cousin, Danielle Louise Gemmer, on July 29th. She's beautiful and lucky to be part of such a wonderful family. I so can't wait to meet her next month.

The next is that Michael found out he has to go to Afghanistan afterall, sometime at the end of October, so the three of us will be coming to Washington on his pre-deployment leave in a few weeks. Caleb and I will be sticking around while he's away, and then come next September our happy family will be together forever :).

climbing

2009-09-05T07:12:00.000-07:00

It started off as something so small...

Then a few hours later...

Jeez Caleb, where did that come from? Pretty soon he'll be climbing onto the countertops to reach the cookie jar.

whisked away

2009-09-03T19:09:00.000-07:00

I haven't published anything in a week because, well, it's been a rough week.

From mid-day Firday to Monday morning, Caleb had a nasty fever (it got to 105.1 Saturday night) so our weekend was full of holding a sick baby, letting him roll around wearing nothing but a diaper and a wet washcloth on his head (wish I would've gotten pictures!), trying to get him to eat or drink anything, letting him sleep on us or else not at all, being thrown up on a few times, and a couple cool baths - for me and him. It slowly burned off though. Then Tuesday brought a rash of some sort, spread over his whole body no less.

At least when he was sick or presumably itchy, I understood why he was constantly fussy, but since he got better... his crying has just gotten worse. He's gotten especially good at crawling towards me, tugging at my pant leg and saying "Ma-ma," which is so very pathetic, and adorable. He truly isn't happy unles I'm holding him, and even then he wants to be walked around, or squirming in my arms. I didn't think I could possible have any patience left, but luckily, it came to me anyway.

He's showing signs of improvement, and it gives me hope that this is just a phase... a state of spoiled rotten-ness. Thank goodness! Because I don't know that my shoulders, elbows, and wrists were made for a juggling act with a 21-pound baby.... So this last week has been pictureless because any shot I might've taken of him wouldd've captured him crying, or pouting at the least.

Then this evening when Michael said "Hey, look what he's doing," I had to whip out the camera. All three bags of fresh, local veggies from the farmer's market were still laying out on the floor, waiting to be peeled and pureed (I let him play with the plasting bags as long as he has his pacifier in, and is being supervised), and I guess he got a better hold of one than he bargained for. It was presently being dragged behind him while he made his way towards a "toy" when his daddy saw what was going on. I guess he got his arm through the hole, turned and scooted away, and the bag came with!

The reason behind the whisk is that he seems to be getting bored with his own toys, and is therefore getting into things he shouldn't. So I strategically place non-toy items - usally kitchen gadgets and tupperware - about the room and he's just fascinated with them. This one was an especially good find.

not so toothless grin

2009-08-26T15:17:00.000-07:00

Will you look at those teeth!

And look at that belly. You can tell he's eating well, thanks to those little chompers.

And the scooting commences.

And the momma's not the only one feeding the baby anymore.

Michael: "Quick, take a picture of me feeding Caleb so your mom stops thinking I don't do anything."

Me: "I know, I was just about to."

*click*

Me: "Sheesh, don't look so serious."

Michael: "I'm concentrating!"

"Brush-a brush-a brush-a, brush your little teethers."

I think he likes how it feels. He smiles every time. Would you believe that little jumper he's wearing is a size 12 months. Better yet, the onesie is 18 months... Crazy.

just for laughs

2009-08-21T19:04:00.000-07:00

Scarey Caleb!

"Hey, what's this weird barrier between me and mom?"

Silly Caleb.

not cooperating

2009-08-13T14:15:00.000-07:00

He's usually a champ at eating (if I get the timing and the consistency just right in preparing his rice cereal) but today, not so much. I'm guessing his lack of interest in the food was a mixture between failure on my part, and Caleb's new favorite past-time... blowing raspberries. He's been doing it for about a week, pretty much since he started cutting teeth. It's usually pretty cute, but a little less so when you end up feeding the bib more than the baby.

I just love the tongue action here.

He's getting better at sitting, but everything else that goes with it is coming a little more slowly.

It was pretty silly when he couldn't figure out how to sit up straight again. Then right after this video was taken, his toy got too far away... He just kept reaching and reaching, but he could only go so far with his legs underneath him like that. I tried to sit there like a good mother and let him figure it out himself, but he got really frustrated and I had to help him out. Poor little guy.

And of course, what would floor travel be without a little discovery, mostly of things he shouldn't be getting into. I'm pleased with his apparent interest in books, but I don't think those books can say the same thing. "But mom, they're so tastey, and it sounds cool when I tear and crumple up the pages." Looks like it's time to invest in some cardboard decoys.

Mmhm, act all innocent too.

my boys

2009-08-09T14:27:00.000-07:00

I love seeing these two together.

teeeeeth!

2009-08-08T19:52:00.000-07:00

First I saw - and then I felt - two little baby teeth in Caleb's big ol' mouth this morning. I'm not gonna lie, that made me pretty happy. Every time I saw them I got so excited and said "Caleb, look! You have teeth!" He'd smile at me and I'd smile back, then he's smile even bigger, and so on. All was bliss. Then he bit me when he was nursing and my smile became a scowl. His surprised look slowly curved up into a mischeivous grin... *sigh*... and my face reluctantly mirrored it.

You can't really see them in any of the pictures I have of him. You can tell they're still bothering him, and it's hard to get him to smile for long enough to show them off, especially without blurage. They're both on the bottom, front and center. I'll try to get a good shot of them soon.

6 months

2009-08-04T08:33:00.000-07:00

He's on the move!

I'm afraid I completely flaked out when it came to documenting Caleb's "rolling" phase. I would just like to clarify that a couple weeks ago, he could travel the entire length of the living room in about thirt seconds. Now that he's mastered "scooting" however, he doesn't roll as much. This new form of transprtation lets him keep his eyes on his target (sometimes toys, but more often shoes, wires, remotes, etc.), and he always uses the same technique - he bear-crawls with his elbows and shoves himself forward with his left leg, while his right leg trails along in the air behind him. This gives me the vague hunch that he might be a leftie. We'll see.

It's interesting to see him learning how to use his toys, and appreciate the fun in them, instead of merely banging on them or attempting to cover them in slobber. Michael commented on how cool it is that he's catching on to a lot of things. Yesterday, Caleb discovered our small kitchen (in his attempt to get around the pillow-barrier we set up around a laptop and it's corresponding wires), which abruptly leads to the bedroom. I guess the hope of keeping him manageable in the livingroom is gone. Perhaps my days of care-free motherhood are limited, and I should be preparing for the loss of my sanity. For now though, I think I'll just enjoy spending time with my curious companion

"Wait a sec... What's that cool shiney thing mommy's holding? I see that thing a lot. Not that she's so close, I think I'll take a better look."

The other day, I braved going within his reach to give him a kiss and pulled away smiling at his fuzzy figure, realizing too late that he had very sneakily removed my glasses from my face and was waving them proudly at me.

At 6 months, he now weighs 19 pounds 7 ounces, and measures 27 inches. He's a bit heavier than he is long (according to the baby percentile charts) but how else could he hang on to those glorious rolls? I make it my priority to spoil him rotten with attention and affection, and stare at him with loving eyes as often as I can. Luckily both of those goals are fulfilled fairly easily. I also try to feed him as much as he could possibly want, but I feel like he might be getting a little impatient with nursing. Or maybe I'm just getting impatient with his inability to concentrate.

He's so wonderful I can hardly stand it, much less get used to it. I think that's a good thing though, not to expect it, though it's always been the norm. That way I continue to be amazed and always appreciative, that this little boy is in my life, and that I have the pleasure of being his momma.

I wish I could say the same for that poor rubber duckie.

military son

2009-08-03T10:03:00.000-07:00

Am I the luckiest girl on the planet or what?
I'm surrounded by studs!
Michael has a uniform inspection Friday.
I'd like to thank whoever set that up.
I never get to see him in uniform.
Don't get me wrong, cammies are great.
Coveralls, also very nice.
But there's nothing like pristine Charlies.
Dress blues might top it, but just barely.

It was his idea to take some pictures.

I'm glad he thought of it.

Look how happy that baby is.
He sure loves his daddy.
I love his daddy too.
And we both love Caleb.
Life is good.

jumpin' an' bumpin'

2009-07-27T15:57:00.000-07:00

We got Caleb this used Johnny Jump-Up last weekend to help him utilize his constant kicking into something a little more constructive, and entertaining. His first time in it was just that, and he was so overwhelmed with joy - or some unknown emotion - that instead of laughing, he just took a one wheezy, over-excited breath after another and we wondered how he didn't choke (because Michael and I did every time we tried to imitate him).

I was a little disappointed, but understanding, when I saw that he didn't get the hang of it right away. He kinda just dangled there and spun around on the ball of one foot, occasionally alternating to the other, and stiffening his legs once in a while so he did kind of a half jump, or a lung of sorts. I set him in the device again this afternoon so he could keep himself occupied while I washed the dishes... and then I had the brilliant idea to turn on some tunes for both of us to enjoy. I can't tell you how happy I was to see that music drives him as much as his momma. He even kept to the beat... almost.

sitting and scooting

2009-07-26T15:23:00.000-07:00

Look, he sits.

And look, he scoots. Water bottles are the best to encourage him to move around because has to chase them. He'll be crawling in no time.

playmates

2009-07-26T12:47:00.001-07:00

Aunt Jess and cousin Kayleigh came over for a few hours today. The kiddies mostly rolled around together and played with some toys, while the mommies swapped baby gossip and the daddy watched happily from the couch. All was going well...

...until Caleb got a little overexcited and upset himself. Kayleigh didn't seem too concerned, which is funny considering every time she cries, her older cousin feels it his duty to sympathize - so dramatic.

After a while they made up (and held hands).

Then they shared in the entertainment of a few teething rings.

Cute kids.

ba-ba-ba

2009-07-23T11:04:00.000-07:00

This ones for you Gran.

updates

2009-07-22T10:02:00.000-07:00

1. Caleb actually enjoys his baths now. He splashes way too much for them to last very long, but at least he's not squirming and whining when I try to scrub him down. His favorite part is, of course, getting rinsed off with the sprayer. I love it when he tries to grab the water coming from it - not so much when he kicks the faucet and adjusts the temperature it took me five minutes to perfect.

2. We started giving him apple juice a few weeks ago to help get him a little more regular in the dirty diaper area. One time in three weeks was a little too... infrequent, but he's up to 3 or 4 times a week now. He surprised us by holding his own bottle after only ever drinking out of one a handful of times.

3. Even though he isn't cutting teeth yet, Caleb's showing all the other signs of starting on solid foods. So we bought some rice cereal and mixed it with a little mother's milk... and he gobbled it right up. No spitting it out, and minimal grabbing. I was so proud.

4. I'll admit that a small motivator in starting him on solids was that his belly would be content before bed-time and he might get a full-nights sleep (he only has twice since we moved back to Washington in April). It's been pretty rough on me laying down for 1-1/2 to 3 hours at a time before he's awake again, and takes at least a half hour (sometimes two hours) to go back down. Luckily, right when I thought I would lose my mind if we went another night like that, he slept for about 7 hours last night, and for the first time in three months, I actually feel rested.

peek-a-boo

2009-07-12T19:52:00.000-07:00

Of course, there are several variations of the game, but you get the idea.

the aquarium

2009-07-05T15:13:00.000-07:00

Michael loves going to aquariums, so that's what I wanted to do as kind of a birthday surprise/family outing. However, since the big day was in the middle of the week, we went to dinner in the night of his 21st and waited 'til the Sunday after to make a day-trip to Pine Knoll Shores on Emerald Isle. Luckily it was a cloudy day, or else it would've been even more crowded than it was (the aquarium and the island).

Afterwards we went to a late lunch at a Mexican restaurant, and Caleb did the funniest thing. I looked over at him sitting there in his carseat holding his hands out in front of him, and I swear it looked just like he was playing air guitar to the festive music coming from the speakers. The right one was bent inward and the left one stuck out to the side and both were tweaking invisible strings. He kept it up for several minutes and it would've been great to have recorded it, but of course I left my camera in the car. You can imagine though, right?

Independence Day

2009-07-04T22:59:00.000-07:00

Although we knew the fireworks show in Jacksonville probably wouldn't be as fabulous as the one on base, we had a hunch that it would be significantly less crowded. The important thing for us was that we spend some quality time together as a family, and if need be, have an easy escape route if it turned out Caleb didn't like to hear and see loud and colorful explosions overhead. So we walked around the park for a few hours checking out the merchandise booths and food trailers, ended up getting a sno-cone, an elephant ear, some chili-fries... typical fair food, then we copped a squat on a blanket and listened to a middle-aged band that did rock covers ranging from Prince to Green Day to the Eagles. Got some great pictures, as you can see. I'll probably make a collage out of them to frame and add to the wall in our livingroom.

Caleb actually did really well with the fireworks. He was chill as ever and after the initial Ooh-Aah effect wore off, he was more interested in all the people around him. I think by the time the show was over he was ready to get back home and go to bed, which is understandable being that it was nearly ten o'clock. Unfortunately the City of Jacksonville didn't have the best traffic ushers, and although we were the first ones out of our particular lot, it took us about about a half hour to make it onto the main road. Luckily we were able to sleep in the next day :).

Father's Day

2009-06-21T19:06:00.000-07:00

Although our little family didn't do anything particularly special for Father's Day, we were just so glad to be spending it together that we didn't care what we did.

Michael and I usually like to sleep in on Sundays, or as long as Caleb will allow, but this morning we had to get up early so we could make it out to the base and say goodbye to the remaining members of his company that got deployed to Afghanistan, where Michael was supposed to be going almost two months ago. Seeing the men off, and watching the other families say goodbye, I held on tight to my husband and the father of our precious child, and was secretly glad for the um-teenth time that he broke that bone in his foot. If it weren't for that, we'd be spending this day apart, along with a few hundred others, wishing he could be here. Luckily he is here, and Caleb can get to know his daddy, and Michael can spend time with his son. Watching them together makes me happier than I've ever been. There are moments when the three of us are just sitting around the house, talking or playing with Caleb, and I take a mental snapshot and hope I'll always remember these times. I love our little family.

Consequently, we spent the day at the beach, since we were only a few miles from it on base, and it was really nice out but early enough it wouldn't be too hot. Michael made fun of me because I was fascinated with the sand crabs that stuck out of their burrows to catch a wave, by the hundreds! Caleb got strolled around on the perfectly even sand, and even toed the waves for a bit (of course I didn't get pictures of that!). Needless to say, he thought he owned the place after that...

I'm sure we'll be back to visit very soon.

hair-do

2009-06-19T19:00:00.000-07:00

Although our boy was born with quite a bit of dark brown hair, it's progressively getting shorter, thinner, and blonder. There's even a subtle tint of red in there, but it's much more obvious in the sunlight. It's still pretty thick on top, and long enough that we couldn't resist the urge to play around with it a bit.

Before:

After:

Little stud.

toosh

2009-05-30T21:36:00.000-07:00

I realized the other day that our little man has been around for almost four months, and we don't have a single naked bum shot. So after Gran gave him his last bath at the Lakewood house (for a while anyways),we set up a little photo op, bottoms up!

socks

2009-05-26T00:19:00.000-07:00

Caleb has been kicking his little legs, pretty much nonstop, for several weeks now. The Grandpa Dale's theory is that he doesn't like wearing shoes, or socks, since it looks like he's trying with all his might to slip either off... but he does it barefoot too, so I think he just has a lot of energy and needs to move. A typical day features me carrying him around the entire house, one naked foot
just dangling there, in search for the rogue sock.

However, just recently, our little boy has found his feet, and discovered how much fun they are - especially when covered with socks. This particular pair stayed put on his feet for several minutes while he wiggled and tugged, and sucked... There's so much curiousity and concentration on his face.

yelling

2009-05-24T12:17:00.000-07:00

I had a little get-together with two of my good friends from high school and their beaus. Lauren is newlywed to a great guy named Alec, and Shellie and Brian are engaged to be married in a couple weeks. They're all a lot of fun to be around, and since I'm heading back to NC next week to be with my own man, I had to squeeze in one more visit with them.

The conversation with these guys is great, and we just had a ball, mostly while playing a game I'd never heard of called the Great Dalmudi. It ended up being a very late night, especially for me and Caleb who are used to retiring much earlier. He slept through most of the excitement minus an hour or two where he was the excitement. I knew he'd get along great with the girls, because they can be really goofy, but this was completely unexpected. You'd think he was mad, but he was just goofing around.

What a dork.

lock up your daughters

2009-05-17T11:36:00.000-07:00

There's a heartbreaker on the loose. We'll see if his attitude lives up to the reputation we've already established for him.

Thanks again Grandpa Chris for this amusing t-shirt.

being modest

2009-05-15T11:08:00.000-07:00

Our little chunker let me take some naked pictures again, only this time there was no need to edit. He's such a happy pudgey baby. He's more than 16 pounds now, and already wearing 6-9 month clothes. It amazes me how big he's gotten, and how many things he can do. He really does change every day.

little runner

2009-05-14T21:58:00.000-07:00

I took Caleb for a jog in our fancy stroller, because I still have a little baby weight to lose, and I've been itching to get back into running. The best part about him being with me was that most of my exercise was from laughing at this little boy gliding in front of me. I had to bundle him up all nice and tight because it was 8:30pm in Western Washington and there was a little nip in the air. Plus momma was going really fast! haha, not really. He rode so sweetly for most of the workout, but I think he was getting a little tired. It was fun while it lasted though.

Thanks to Gran for this super awesome body suit. We certainly are enjoying it.

giggling

2009-05-12T16:13:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love that he can giggle now, because it's the best way to tell that he's happy and healthy, and it totally brightens up whatever mood I'm in. It's great when one of his conversations of babble is embellished with chuckles and squeals, and even more fun when he'll get in a laughing fit with you. He doesn't even know what's funny, just wants to share in your moment of joy.

I had to shoot this video from the side because he gets camera shy if he can see it. Who would have thought that a child of mine and Michael's could ever be shy?

rolling over

2009-05-11T13:20:00.000-07:00

So far he'll only roll over when he starts on his belly (actually, he pretty much does it automatically) but it's a step in the right direction.

developmental milestones: 3 months

2009-05-09T17:19:00.000-07:00

He's getting pretty good at this. Look at him kicking his back legs up and everything.

He also has great eye contact, decent tracking skills and interest in things. He likes to suck on his fist, or your finger if it's in his fist, and he's working on holding and slobbering on toys. We've seen a lot of smiles, and heard a lot of babbling, even some giggling (hopefully I'll catch him with the camera one of these days.) He'll even sit up and stand pretty well with some support until he gets tired and falls over.

after all that

2009-05-01T11:39:00.000-07:00

Three months ago, all we knew about Michael's second and final deployment was that it would happen sometime this year. Three weeks ago, we knew it would happen sometime this month. Three days ago, we found out the plane leaves on the 2nd of May. Well we planned out our finances for the next 7 months and moved me and Caleb back out to Washington. Everyone was counting on us being here and him being gone, and I did a fair amount of crying, and worrying. Turns out it was all for nothing.

Sometime last week Michael twisted his foot wrong during a run at work and heard a loud pop. He finished the workout in pain and walked on it for several days, ran on it twice, and it popped once again. They found out this morning that it broke both times so it's a compound fracture, and now has a black cast on it. Looks like there won't be a second deployment for Lance Corporal Stover afterall, or for his friends and family.

So now we're in limbo again, trying to figure out how long I should stay here so Caleb and I can visit everyone, and how in the world we're going to get enough money together to get into an apartment, drive us back over there, repair the Rx7, and all the other little things... We'll just have to wait and see how all this turns out.

just chillin'

2009-04-22T18:18:00.000-07:00

I'm always happy when I can catch Caleb on an especially photogenic day. It probably isn't proper to say your own child is good-looking, but I can't help it. He looks so much like his daddy.

Michael's last day

2009-04-19T18:56:00.000-07:00

Michael's last day on leave was reserved for just me and Caleb - a little family time before we'd be separated for seven months. Of course, we wanted to make it memorable, so we had a long list of fun activities planned out for the day, and a few back-up ideas in case those didn't work out.

We both wanted to take our time getting around, because it's easier to have a good time when there's no agenda, and you don't feel rushed. Unfortunately, getting to Seattle at 5pm meant that we didn't have time to visit Darin, Deanna, and Daisy, and it was too late to get into the Point Defiance Zoo, the Seattle Aquarium, and the Seattle Science Center. In fact, after all our running around (and getting totally lost two or three times), all we had time to do was grab some dinner and catch an IMax movie. The movie being shown was Monsters Vs. Aliens, and it actually ended up being a lot of fun. I'm so glad Caleb got through it alright, even though it was extremely loud.

I love this man so much, and any amount of time away from him is really tough. I know we've spent seven months apart before, but that was before we'd gotten to be with each other [almost] every day, before we built a home together, and before we had a son. We're trying really hard to not focus on the negative and to just get through this the same way we did last time.

sad baby

2009-04-12T19:44:00.000-07:00

Caleb's not really liking the road trips as much as he used to, now that he's been stuffed in his car seat for about a week straight. It's usually because he's gassy and for some reason isn't capable of letting it out while he's strapped in. We've been forced to pull over a few times so we can take him out and let him wiggle a bit. If he stays in there too long after he starts fussing, he'll get really upset, and cry until his gas is relieved, and it's so sad to see his big crocodile tears welling up in his eyes . As much as I hate to let him get this upset, I can't deny, he's extra sweet once you calm him down.

little squeals

2009-04-10T18:40:00.000-07:00

I had to post this one ASAP. We were laughing and talking to each other for about 15 minutes before we found the camera and a memory card to go in it. Sadly there was only enough room on the card for these 25 seconds.

in Limbo

2009-04-08T20:14:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted anything lately, but it's been a little crazy for us the last couple weeks. Michael finally got orders for his upcoming deployment, and that meant we pretty much had 'til the end of March to sell our stuff, pack up everything else, get the house ready for our move-out inspection, and plan the long journey back to Washington. Since the hubby has been working boucoup overtime doing work-ups and extra training, it was up to me to do all of the above. So between all that and juggling little Caleb, I definitely wasn't able to type out any fun stories or post pictures... or even take many pictures.

Okay, Sierra, we've heard all the excuses, now give us the goods!

Well, we moved out of our house forever and officially on April 1st, and planned to stay at Jess and Ryan's house that night and the next, then we'd leave North Carolina on the 3rd. Spending time at the Hutchison house meant more photo ops of the two babies together, and this time there wasn't a big crying episode.

Turns out it's not much fun to sleep on an air mattress four nights in a row (especially when it has a hole and you find yourself on the ground in the morning) and we both needed a good night's sleep before beginning our journey, so we stayed Thursday night at the Hospitality Inn on base. I've had this camoflauge outfit lying around for months, but it hasn't been the right weather/occasion to dress him in it, but I remembered while picking out our clothes for the trip that I wanted a picture of him and his daddy in matching camo before Michael went overseas. Unfortunately, I didn't communicate these intentions and he ended up changing into civies and packing away his cammies before I got a chance. Drat!

However, I did make sure to take a different picture while I had the opportunity, and this one was important! I just thought it would be fun to get a shot of Caleb in front of the very room in that hotel that Michael and I stayed in when he got back from Iraq, exactly 11 months ago... You can probably do the math.

I almost dropped him on his head trying to take this picture myself, until I tracked down housekeeping and asked her to point and shoot while I held him. He cracked this huge smile right on three. It was great.

show some emotion

2009-03-24T19:37:00.000-07:00

This is going to be difficult, but I at least have to try to describe the feeling I got from something that kind of caught me off guard today. When Caleb was spending time with his cousin Kayleigh, he actually showed a little personality. I brought him over to Jessica's house to visit, and after both babies were fed and several stories were swapped, we decided to get the kids together for a picture (they've photographed so well together in the past) but the result wasn't quite what we were looking for.

What happened was that Kayleigh got a little fussy and was crying her strong yet quiet, very lady-like cry. We plugged her up with a pacifier so we could get a decent shot, and she calmed down a bit, but all the while that she'd been letting loose beside him, Caleb was growing more and more restless. You can see the concern and unease building up on his face in the second picture (of course, it was better if you were there), then once Kayleigh's binky fell out and she started wailing again, Caleb up and joined right in. I didn't think to capture that exact moment because we moms promptly pulled the little ones apart and proceeded to comfort them.

I mean, it has to be confusing for someone who's totally oblivious of the existence of other infants, to hear one crying. I couldn't stop laughing at the predicament that it caused, and surely it's safe to assume that crying is simply contageous among babies. 'There must be some kind of disturbence; It's upsetting; I'd better cry.' Still, I was fascinated to see this child of mine that I've been staring at and talking to nonstop for seven weeks show me something completely new. Finally he's expressed some emotion while interacting with another person - I witnessed the spark of compassion in my son. *Sniff.*

Like I said, "Daddy's Little Dude" (as his shirt says) is seven weeks old tomorrow. No duckie in this picture, I just caught him posing on his changing table. I love how he looks in just a onesie.

Caleb's quilt

2009-03-18T16:08:00.000-07:00

I've been staging Caleb's [almost] weekly photos (he's six weeks now) on the reverse side of his baby quilt, but I have yet to credit the maker of this gorgeous piece, my wonderful mother - or as we fondly call her, Gran. Here she is working on it back in December, while Michael and I were visiting home for Christmas, and the final result that she brought to us when Caleb was born back in February. Thank you so much for this incredible gift of time, effort, and affection in every stitch.

It says "I Love You" at the bottom.

I took a few extra shots because he was in a good mood, and was therefore very photogenic.

"LOVE"

so many smiles

2009-03-14T17:34:00.000-07:00

Caleb had another visitor this weekend; Grandpa Erwin flew out here to Jacksonville for a few days to see the little runt.Of course as soon as he had him in his lap, we could hardly get him to stop smiling. We decided it's because the old man's so funny looking. Really though, you can't deny that he has a way with babies, and this one sure had a good time while he was around.

Friday afternoon the three of us drove up north to New Bern to see the Tyron Palace (which I'd never heard of) and took a guided tour through the whole thing. I guess it used to be the capital of North Carolina back when it was a colony, and then when it became a state. I could tell you all about everything we learned, but I'm sure it's a lot more interesting when you're actually there. Also, I realize that the only thing anyone reading this blog really cares about is that we have a happy baby, so here are more pictures of all the smiles in his repertoire.

P.S: hes starting to giggle too. More on that later.

buff kid

2009-03-12T15:49:00.001-07:00

We'be been trying to get him to enjoy "tummy time," to help him develop his neck and back muscles. Unfortunately, any time we put him on the ground, he just lays there with his face smothered in the blanket, occasionally looking around in a confused way, and eventually getting upset that we abandoned him to soak in his own drool. I'm not sure what the situation was here, - I think I had to set him down so I could have both hands to do something, I don't know - but I'm glad I got a picture of it.

Also, our little man is now five weeks old. He's so strong sitting up all by himself (with the help of the ottoman behind him). We shot this just before he keeled over. What a doll.

could it be....

2009-03-08T13:24:00.000-07:00

A smile?

He's been doing this on occasion for about a week, but I haven't been able to catch it on camera until now.

one month old

2009-03-04T15:21:00.000-08:00

My, how quickly a month goes by when there's a newborn in the house. All the feedings and diaper changes just meshed together into one long day in the life of a mommy. But look how much he's grown!

He's a chubby dude, that's for sure, but that just means he's healthy. We actually had a volunteer from Visiting Nurses stop by today to assess his development, give me some tips for the first couple months, and answer any questions. She was kind enough to tell me how handsome and perfect he was, and to give me a bunch of awesome resources around the community. Plus, it was pretty neat that we got to have his weight and length measured right at the month marker.

He weighed 9lbs 5oz at birth and measured 20in, which I just found out is in the 91st and 62nd percentile for newborns. Now he 12lbs 3oz and 22-1/2in, which is 95th and 77th, respectively. Big boy!

family portraits

2009-03-02T15:36:00.000-08:00

While we had the two newborns, all four parents, and both grandparents in the same town, we got portraits taken of the whole family for the first time. Pictured below are me and Michael, Ryan and Jessica Hutchison, Chris and Cindy Stover, and Caleb and Kayleigh.

Both babies were in really good moods... until about two seconds before the shoot began. Celeb was hungry and therefore crabby, so I volunteered the Hutchisons to go first, while I gave him a little 'snack' to hold him over. Kayleigh took some adorable pictures, all with her her eyes closed and her binky firmly in place. Then Chris and Cindy had a turn with both grandkids. After the big family picture, we did the Stover threesome, just the little man, and then the two cousins. Those are my favorite for sure.

It took a lot of effort from everyone there to get/keep the kids happy and alert enough to take a decent picture, but you can hardly tell that they weren't just naturally at ease the whole time.

Okay, how precious are these?

After an hour of juggling babies and setups (luckily there weren't any walk-ins during that time), we had 28 pretty nice pictures, 6 of which we're getting prints of and the rest are on a CD. I'd be happy to e-mail a few to anyone that wants them, just let me know.

hooded towel

2009-03-01T13:56:00.000-08:00

Thank you Gran for making this awesome hooded towel!

We tried it out for the first time after Caleb's 4th real bath. He needed this one really badly after the daiper changing incident a while earlier, as well as several bouts of spit-up. Our little man is still getting used to the sensation of being submerged in warm water, so the last couple baths have been kind of upsetting to him. This time he didn't seem to mind so much, especially since he had this to wrap up in afterwards - along with some clean clothes.

midnight feedings

2009-02-28T03:24:00.000-08:00

Three reasons why I really don't mind waking up in the middle of the night to feed Caleb:

1. He's such a great kid, and he's always been a really good sleeper. We can put him down at 8pm and I won't have to wake up until 2am, when the monitor picks up a few grunts and whines from him. He's still asleep when I go into his room, just stirring. So I unwrap him from his swaddle, he wiggles out any gas or stiff muscles, and then he's awake and ready to eat. It sure beats that first week or two when we were both getting used to each other and trying to figure out the feeding process, before I realized that when he's hungry but won't eat, it means he's gassy, or if he starts to doze off I should change his diaper to wake him up enough to stay interested... and so on. I used to wait for him, then I'd fight with him, and after all that, I'd make sure he was asleep before I went back to bed. This usually meant walking the livingroom and humming in his ear, or laying on the couch with him on my chest until I thought it was safe to move him to his crib. So it was a two hour ordeal just to get him fed and changed, but luckily for me it's dropped down to 45 minutes to an hour. I'll just leave him in his room with the soother on and after a bit of whining, he falls right back into dream world, and I'm off the hook for another 3-4 hours.

2. This is what I find under his quilt when I come into his room: a little baby borrito.

3. Then, he squirms, and no matter how tired I am, I can't help but smile. He's usually more active than this, and a lot noisier.

naked baby!

2009-02-25T14:38:00.000-08:00

I don't have much to say about these pictures really, I just put them up for your viewing pleasure. He's such a handsome naked baby.

Also, there's nothing special about the following video. I just thought some movement on the screen might be more interesting than a picture, show a little more personality, and give you some fun noises to listen to.

cousin Kayleigh

2009-02-17T18:04:00.000-08:00

Michael's younger sister Jessica and her husband Ryan, after only three days of waiting, had their baby girl this afternoon - Kayleigh Rae Hutchison. We went in to see them a few hours after she was born, and the little cousins were able to meet for the first time. Seriously, how cute is this picture?

That'll be a fun one to keep for when they're a little older. They're only thirteen days apart in age, but Caleb looks huge compared to Kaleigh. It's so great to have them in the same room together. I just love these babies!

A lot of people ask if we planned for their names to be so similar, and the answer is definitely not. Jess actually had her girl name decided on before either of us even knew what we were having, then once we got the ultrasound results, Michael and I collaborated to pick out a boy name. It wasn't until a week or two later when we revealed our choice that anyone made the connection, and by then we were already set on our respective names. They'll probably hate us for it when they grow up, or maybe it won't be a big deal, but for now it's just an amusing coincedence.

I really hope these two get to see a lot of each other.

Ladies and gentlemen...

2009-02-15T09:26:00.000-08:00

We have a belly button!

a day at the beach

2009-02-12T19:20:00.000-08:00

We were tired of being cooped up in the house, and my mom needed to experience a Carolina beach while she was on the East Coast. We'd been planning the trip (of about 15 miles) for a few days, but by the time we got a cheance to leave, we were almost out of daylight. It's a good thing we waited until today to go though. It hasn't been this nice all week. What a gorgeous day to be outside, enjoy the sunshine, and get a little fresh air in the form of a sea breeze.

Just another perk of my mom being here is that we have a third (or fourth, in this case) party to take pictures of our little family. That way we don't have to resort to shots like this one:

"Okay, now one of just Caleb."

I believe a good time was had by all. I got to stretch my legs and hold hands with my hubby while we pushed the little one in his stroller for the first time. Gran was practically glowing she was enjoying the scene so much. And what would a day at the beach be without collecting a few worthless rocks and shells? I found it amusing to watch my mom gush over all the agates that were strewn over the sand, because we used to make trips down to the Oregon coast specifically to "hunt" and collect these very same rocks, during a certain time of the year when they were known to be most abundant... and there they were.

one week old

2009-02-11T20:00:00.000-08:00

Our little man is growing up so fast...

Now, I know I'm not going to remember to take a picture of him every week, but at least I got us off to a good start by getting him on the first week with his prop of choice. This way, even if you can't feel how heavy he's getting like we can, you can at least watch him grow.

I'm really loving this stage. He's just so very precious.

home from the hospital

2009-02-06T15:51:00.000-08:00

Well, we finally got to take our little guy back to the house. It was pretty chilly outside, so we wrapped him up in this little snuggly suit for his first car ride.

Once we got to the house, he had to try out his swing, and break in his crib.

Then his daddy changed his diaper, and made him mad...

Then they made up.

It was a rather eventful day, especially for a little boy who's only been alive for 48 hours. It's so good to finally have him home.

the birth of Caleb Preston Stover

2009-02-05T15:46:00.000-08:00

Oh that was so worth it!

After years of dreaming about this day, months of actually preparing for it, and days of waiting and anticipating... it finally came! I'll make a long story as short as I can, even if that means condensing a few details, and sparing you from intimate descriptions.

Things really started Tuesday around noon, in between visits to my midwife for a little membrane sweeping. Sounds like fun, huh? Well it definitely got my contractions going, and for the next 24 hours or so, they were regularly 5-10 minutes apart (closer towards the end, of course), and extremely uncomfortable. I didn't sleep at all that night, and around 5am Wednesday morning, my water broke - or so I thought. Instead of leaving right away, I let Michael get a little extra sleep while I tidied up the house, got everything together for our stay at the hospital including snacks and sandwhiches, and ate what would be my last meal until later that night. Though we had the opportunity to park in the Expectant Mothers Only section, we didn't feel the need, and since I'd already had two unneccessary trips to the hospital, we decided to leave all our overnight stuff in the car until we were sure we'd be staying. Tired, excited, and determined, with my darling husband right beside me for support, I strolled into Camp Lejeune Naval Hospital, slowing down or stopping every few minutes for a contraction, and finally made it to the Labor and Delivery unit on the second floor.

We waited in the lobby for a half hour or so to be admitted, and finally got in a room sometime between 7 and 8 (forgive me, but the timing for all these events is a little fuzzy). My nurse Jen hooked me up to the monitor and did a thurough enough exam to inform me that my "bag of waters" was still in tact, so what I felt earlier must've just been a fore-membrane rupturing... So we sat through a few movies - Mr. and Mrs. Smith, August Rush, and the beginning of Stardust - and I breathed and hummed through a couple more hours of contractions. It took a while to even become 4cm dilated, then a while later when my water actually broke, I jumped up to 6cm, and they assured me that things would progress very quickly from then on. After a full day of contractions I was glad to hear that I was nearing the home stretch.

It was pretty neat that Michael's parents Chris and Cindy and his 38-weeks-pregnant sister Jessica came to see the action. There were times when I was so distracted with the pain or completely oblivious to what was going on in the room that I didn't really care who was hovering around me or what they were doing. Overall though, they were really great to have around, getting ice and taking a lot of pictures (thank you Chris!), but more importantly, helping to lighten the mood and take my mind off of things. Plus I know it meant a lot to Michael that they could be there. I decided right away that I wanted them to stay and watch the whole thing, so they could fully experience the birth of their grandson/nephew, especially since Jess will be delivering her own daughter pretty soon. I think they really enjoyed it.

Once I hit 8cm, I was told to just sit tight during transition and not push until the urge was unbearable and I was at 10cm, then they would call everyone in to help with the delivery. Since I already felt like I was at that point, I asked my nurse to be more specific. How do I know I'm ready if no one's going to check me until I get there? She said "Well, when you say 'Screw you Jen, I'm pushing' - that's when you know." Then my midwife explained how the delivery process was going to work, and what position I should be in to push. He had said earlier that he liked to keep the first stages relaxed and light-hearted, but now it was time to get serious. I was to push as hard as I could for ten seconds, 3-4 times during each contraction, until the baby came out. They said the physical demand was equivilant to running a marathon. I didn't believe them til about four contractions in, when I felt completely exhausted, not to mention grateful for the oxygen mask they'd put on me. I was aware of only two things: the pressure of a baby's head on a place I won't specify, and the comfort of the man that was holding my hand and wiping my face with a cold wet cloth, telling me I was doing so well, and probably overwhelmed with the anxieties of being so close to having a son, to becoming a father.

They told me six more contractions and he'd be out; I told myself three. I got to reach down and feel his head when he was crowning, which probably should've been a magical moment for me, but it was just kind of weird. They started worrying that his heart rate was too low because they were having trouble picking it up on the monitor, so in rushed about five more nurses, and out came the scissors. That was the only time I screamed. One more contraction and he was out. I don't think the midwife was expecting that final push - he turned back around just in time to catch the baby. They rushed him to the corner of the room to clean him up and get him warm, and I delivered the placenta and got stitched up while Michael cut the umbilical cord. I was a little irritated that I had to shout over everyone to ask "Will someone please tell me if it's a boy or not?" I thought that announcement was routine. Sheesh.

It was such a great feeling to have it be over and done with, and to hear his little grunts and cries, to finally have this baby in our lives. The funny thing was, it still didn't seem like it had really happened, not until I got to hold him and say "Hey Caleb, I'm your momma."

I fell in love with him the minute I layed eyes on him, and started crying just as quickly. I noted right away the features he inherited from each of us, my lips and hairline for sure, and the bridge of his nose is all Michael. He also has a pretty good head of hair, which he can thank us both for. I had been preparing myself for a wrinkley, pug-faced newborn, so I was in awe to see this gorgeous wide-eyed little man in my arms, and even more surprised to feel like I already knew him so well.

Caleb Preston Stover, born Wednesday February 4th, 2009 at 1:26pm, 9 pounds 5 ounces, 20 inches long, brown hair... not quite sure about the eye color. Now that he's here, I can't wait to get to know him. I love you little guy.

pep talk

2009-01-31T05:43:00.000-08:00

Hey buddy, it's your momma. I just wanted to let you know that it's okay to come out of there, when you're ready of course. I promise you'll like it. I mean, it's not the safe, warm, cozy haven that you've been living in for the last nine months, but there's tons of neat stuff to see and hear, and taste! It's so cool. There's a lot you'll need to learn, like how to breath our air and eat and move around freely now that you're not in that little bubble (but you've been moving like a champ for months), then later, how to roll over and walk and talk and play and drive mom and dad crazy! But that's half the fun of being a baby.

There are things we want to learn about you too, y'know, like what color your eyes are, whether or not you got as many cowlicks as we're all anticipating, and fingers and toes of course. We all would love to see you smile and laugh, and know that you're a healthy, happy kid, so we can have plenty of room to screw you up... joking. Which leads to the best part about being out here - meeting all the new people! All of our family and friends are eagerly awaiting your arrival so we can hold you and touch you, kiss your soft cheeks and fuzzy head, feed you and nurture you, watch you sleep (it might sound boring to you, but it's fascinating to us), and help you to learn and grow so you can become a nice, smart, well-rounded person like the rest of us!

Of all the pals and Cousins, Aunts and Uncles, Grandmas and Grandpas (and Greats and Great-Greats) that you'll get to meet, I know that your favoretest person is gonna be, without a doubt, your daddy. He's definitely mine, mostly because of how much he cares about others and can always make people smile, how you can't help but be happy and have a good time when you're with him. Then there's his charm and good looks of course, which you might not care so much about just yet, but it's likely that he passed them onto you, along with his tendency to cause mischief no doubt. He might call you funny names and rough you up a little bit, but that's just how he shows his love, and it's never without tenderness. He is just dying to meet you kiddo, to officially become a father and be able to call you his son, to stare into your eyes and see his future - our life as a complete family.

You have no idea how loved you already are, how precious you are to us. Come out to join us and we'll do our best to show you in actions and words, along with everything else we wish we could tell you, but that you'll never understand until you're a parent yourself, just like our moms and dads have always told us. Michael and I won't know for sure either until you make this difficult journey into our world, where we can care for you and adore you, and you can show us everything we've been missing, and all the secrets of the universe. I promise that I'll do my best to get you here in one piece, with as little trauma as possible, and to be the greatest mother in the world from then on. I know that this is what I am meant to do, and I've been waiting for this moment for almost my whole life. Now, it's okay that you've made me wait a little longer than I was planning, but no more, alright? Baby, it's time.

procrastinating

2009-01-26T20:42:00.000-08:00

I think Michael hit the nail on the head today when he said "Great, our kid's already procrastinating." It's something he and I are both guilty of, and it seems we've passed it on to our son.

For those of you who know my due date was supposed to be January 24th, don't think that I'm holding out on you or anything. I still haven't had the baby, and I'm not showing an signs that labor's coming on any time in the immediate future. No dilation, no effacement, no water breakage, and no real contractions. It's pretty frustrating waiting every minute of the day for something to get started, but i'm trying my best not to get bitter and crabby.

I think that normally I'd be fine with him being a little late; he can take all the time he needs. However, tomorrow morning the Marine Corps is sending my husband away for two weeks, that is, unless I have the baby tonight. Talk about pressure. There's a chance that I won't have any help in this, that Michael's going to miss out on the most significant event of our lives, and it's just crazy stressful to think about, and slightly depressing.

Of course, being this pregnant, I'm already really emotional, and this is just putting me over the top. I know it's really important to stay positive though, so I'm just telling myself that it could be a lot worse, that my baby is healthy and at least his father is stateside. Besides, there's still a chance that someone down the chain of command will do us a favor and let Michael stay home, or come back from Virginia once I go into labor, and everything might go just swimmingly. There's at least some hope, right?

looking back

2009-01-23T09:30:00.000-08:00

As we draw nearer to the arrival of our little man, I find myself remeniscing on these last nine months of having him in my belly. Overall I'd say it was a very pleasant experience, and here are a few reasons why:

-We took the pregnancy test at 4am the morning that we were leaving from Moses Lake to head to our new home in Jacksonville. We had a pretty strong hunch of what the result was going to be, so we were at least a little prepared to see that little pink plus sign. It's amusing that we'd watched the movie Knocked Up the night before, so really the timing couldn't have been better. I mean, it was hard to keep the news to ourselves as we were saying our goodbyes, but we got to talk and make plans for the next 3,000 miles - how we were going to decorate the room, what we might name him/her, when we should start to tell people - it was a lot of fun.

-We made the big announcement a couple weeks into June, though some friends and relatives were accidentally left out of the loop for a while. Most people's reactions we along the lines of "Well that didn't take long" and "Yeah, we figured that was coming." It kind of took away from the excitement of it all, but everyone was generally very pleased to hear the news, and some were so ecstatic they screamed and probably headed straight to the nearest store to look at baby stuff.

-Right around that same time, I started experiencing some morning sickness, later to become all-day nausea, usually brought on by being close to Michael. This was a very unfortunate coincidence, because I just couldn't stay away from him. Luckily, I only ever discovered one food aversion, which was, strangely enough, cilantro, but I was bummed that I didn't get any fun cravings either. I mean, there's the usual stuff like cookies, ice cream, candy, chocolate of any kind... but I couldn't possibly blame that on the pregnancy and keep a straight face. Actually, my life-long sweet tooth took a little break during the first four or five months and I could actually eat healthy, but since then it's come back full force, and I've had to be a little more disciplined.

-Aside from the stretch marks and loss of mobility, I've really enjoyed the changes that have happened to my body. There was the awkward stage when I just looked pudgy, which actually lasted until my fifth month or so, but now I look enormous and I love it. I mean I wouldn't want to stay this way forever, and at this point I'm eager to get back to my normal shape, but I've always appreciated the look of a glowing pregnant woman. I feel so beautiful as a mother-to-be, with all my extra curves, and yes, the with-child-waddle. People tell me all the time that I've kept a good figure, or that I'm a "cute pregnant lady," which is really nice to hear when you're wearing size jumbo.

-People become really funny when you're pregnant. They want to give you advice and tell you every detail of their pregnancy or delivery, or those of someone they know. They think it's a free-for-all to touch your stomach and say all sorts of inappropriate things about your body or your love life. I mean I've never been an especially private person, so I didn't care too much, but I always found it so amusing. "You're carrying him in your thighs." That one was the best.

-One of my favorite moments was hearing his heartbeat for the first time. Until then, he was kind of a presence that we had to just believe was there, with no actual evidence but what a few urine tests told us. When we heard the fast-paced Lub-Dub of an 11-week old heart, it brought tears to my eyes, because it was proof that this dream was a reality. The next best thing was feeling him move inside me. They were such small motions at first, little giggles and gas bubbles, but now he's darn near kicking a hole in my stomach and making his grand entrance that way! Michael always makes fun of me because I can't ever help but laugh when he gives me a surprise punch or somersault, even though I "should be used to it by now."

-The milestones are obviously the easiest to remember, but the most delightful stage for me has been this last month or two, the homestretch. Setting up his room and making all the preparations, eagerly awaiting his arrival, dreaming about having this little bundle of joy to hold and love up on... it's making me crazy with anticipation but sane at the same time. This life inside me is an inevitable; whether I'm ready or not, I'm going to be a mother. I think that's the best gift of all, that I get to care for this person, that he'll be more than just a twinkle in my eye and a bump in my belly. He's gonna be one awesome little dude.

-The really neat thing is seeing that same excitement on his daddy's face, and to hear it in even the smallest comment about our future son. I can't wait to see Michael as a father, and to somehow find room in my heart, along with our new addition, to love him even more for it.

There are a lot of other little perks, like using my belly as a table and getting to eat as much as I want (though sometimes I don't want to but have to anyways). I receive some very nice massages, a lot of good hugs and sweet kisses when my emotions get the better of me, and most often ridicule from Michael about how huge I am or the fact that I have to grunt to get up off the couch, but I've had a lot of fun with it. Yes, pregnancy can be a very enjoyable phase of life, if you go at it with the right attitude. "You see this? *points to belly* This is my Do Whatever I Want and Get Away With It belly." It's true. Except I can't dance in public. No one likes that very much.

so many clothes

2009-01-18T08:42:00.000-08:00

Our collection started with a modest two garbage bags full of baby clothes that I bought used one LejeuneYardSales.com, about 100 pieces in all. Some were very cute and others weren't even worth keeping. I washed 'em up and organized them into two big canvas bins in a shelf unit and I thought we were all set. Then came Christmas, visiting grandparents- and great-grandparents-to-be (not to mention aunts, uncles, siblings, and friends), and everyone gifted a few more adorable outfits, and some very sweet and snuggly blankets. We got another box full of clothes (also with roughly 100 items) from Grandma Kathy alone... and these are just size 0-3 months! Then there's a bin or two full of 3-9 month things, and 9+ items waiting for us back in Washington. I swear, we won't have to wash a single outfit until he's a year old.

Of the 75 onesies we have, my favorites are "Chicks Dig Me," "I Live For Cars and Girls," and anything with duckies or baseball theme, because they're just so Michael, and I have a feeling Caleb is going to take after his dad in a lot of ways. I can't wait to dress him in the "Lock Up Your Daughters" t-shirt (compliments of Grandpa Chris) and tote him around the store. He's gonna be a little heart-breaker, so watch out.

I've got his first couple outfits - complete with matching hats and socks - chosen and packed away in our hospital bag. I think they might provide clothes for the first few days, and who knows how big he'll be, but there's no harm in being prepared, right? Well, as much as I can be anyways.

getting excited

2009-01-16T13:41:00.000-08:00

Up until this point, I've been a little apprehensive about giving birth at the Naval Hospital, because I didn't really know what kind of procedures the doctors there favor or how much they're going to let me call the shots. The best conception I could gather was mostly from probing the midwife that I go to for my regular check-ups at the OB clinic in town, Cdr. Sirois. Unfortunately, there's only a small chance that she will actually be the one delivering me, given that there are about six other midwives and a few doctors that rotate shifts in the birthing unit, and I have no idea how the rest of them will respond to my wishes for a completely natural birth.

However, yesterday I got to take a tour of the hospital and the birthing rooms they have there, and I must say, they are amazing! Lots of room, a nice big bed, rocking chair, and a small hide-away lounger in case Michael gets tired. There's a private bathroom attached and a shower inside, and let's not mention the TV and DVD player to get us through the long hours of those first couple stages. The woman that showed us around even explained how things work with the whole process, and it sounds like I have nothing to worry about. They're not going to force too many medical opinions on me or take my baby away two minutes after he's born. I might have to make a stand against having an IV, fetal moitoring, and the Vitamin K shot, but I've had a couple people assure me that they try to respect the wishes of the parents, so I feel relieved that there won't be a ton of pressure. I might get the birth I want.

One more thing that makes me incredibly hopeful for the big day is that there is another midwife I've seen a couple times, once at about 26 weeks and again just today, that I am completely in love with. Her name is Ms. LaMaire, and I'm practically planning my delivery around her schedule at the hospital, which means I'm shooting for sometime between 8pm on the 23rd and 8am on the 24th. I just know that I'd have the best experience if she was the one attending. While getting to know each other a little bit, we discussed my beliefs about pre- and post-natal care, how I'd like the delivery to go, and agreed with each other about everything. Like she really seems to be one of those midwives that favors natural or even home births, but just happens to work in a medical facility. I really appreciated her feedback and advice for how to manuever around the system, her referral to a pediatrician that won't mind so much when i opt out of vaccinations, along with a few suggestions for books and documentaries I should look into.

I went straight home and watched The Business of Being Born, which was pretty awesome I must day. Not only the light that they were shining on the subject, but the rawness in the footage, was very inspiring. Every time one of those babies came out and was placed in the arms of his or her mother, I broke down into tears. They were happy tears, mind you. I can't wait for that moment, to look into his eyes and say "Hey there, I'm your momma."

Just one more week...

nesting

2009-01-12T15:24:00.000-08:00

After months of hard work, I think I've finally put the finishing touches on the 'nursery'. Being a stay-at-home mother-to-be, I've really had nothing better to do with my time - while Michael's at work anyways. There was already a lot of color in the room, but now it feels like it has more of a theme, and should stimulate Caleb's senses nicely.

The crib bedding was my favorite part, until we got everything else, that is.

I was thrilled to find this mobile (on sale) at Target. We'd been seaching for weeks for one that matched the bedding and the color scheme we wanted. And look! Matching receiving blankets!

Maybe I got a little carried away with painting the wooden letters and the little figurines (honestly, it took HOURS), but it was a lot of fun, and I don't mind putting so much time into something for my guy.

We bought these wooden pieces at Michael's, along with a small bottle of acrylic paint in every color (save purple), and these are the final product. You'll notice on the airplane, a little note from Caleb's daddy to his mommy. That was fun to find there. I should leave my paints out more often.

I love this. The Stover Express.

We're using colorful canvas storage bins to hold all of his clothes and blankets and other goodies that we've gotten as gifts. More on that later when I get them all washed and organized. I think we have everthing we're gonna need for the first little bit, except a monitor, a mattress pad, and..... the baby! Yay for feeling prepared, at last.

"Head, DOWN!"

2009-01-08T16:06:00.000-08:00

That line, of course, is quoted from Mike Myers on So I Married an Axe Murderer. My cousin Summer and I have been joking about it, because that is just what our little Caleb has been needing to do. People have been poking my belly here and there, trying to help me determine which end is what, spurring some pretty silly questions such as "Is he kicking... or punching?" "Is that a butt, or a head?" and my favorite, "What the heck is that?" Even though it was unclear exactly how he was laying, it seemed apparent that it wasn't head down. I don't think I would've even realized that his position should be cause for any concern until my mother pointed out that he should've had his head down some time ago. He's running out of wiggle room in there, and the longer he stays in an oblique or breach position, the less likely he is to turn before the delivery. Of course, I'm afraid of any potential complications in the birth, so I brainstormed with several people and cracked a book or two, looking for ways to help encourage him to flip over, and settled on a few positions that were most likely to help, even if it would take a week or more.

I got back to NC on Monday and had an OB appointment today to look forward to. I hoped that if he hadn't turned by now, my midwife would've been able to tell me how I might flip hime, or refer me to someone that could. Luckily though, she did a bit of poking around my lower abdomen, found a heartbeat one the right side of my stomach, and declared that he did have his head down afterall, so there is nothing to worry about. Phew!

The only thing that concerns me now is that since he's right-side-up, he really could come any day. He still has to engage, but after that happens, it's only a matter of time... then i have to do the deed, and that's slightly nerve-wrecking. I'm not gonna lie, I wouldn't mind too much if he decided to come a little early. Not because I'm fed up with being pregnant just yet (though it can be irritating and uncomfortable at times), but because I can't wait to meet the little fella! I'm trying to imagine what he'll look like, and how tiny he's going to be, what his cry is going to sound like, his sneezes, and eventually, his giggles. I really want to know if he'll have blue eyes or brown, but I guess I'll have to wait.

turbulence

2009-01-06T13:54:00.000-08:00

Good news!! I didn't go into labor on the plane flying home from Washington, or in any of the airports along the way. The first flight I was on did have to make an emergency landing in Spokane, however, due to one man losng consciousness because he didn't take his blood pressure medication that morning... at least that's the story I got. I wonder if events like that ever make the news. To be honest, I was just really relieved I wasn't the reason we had to touch down. Although the delay turned my would-have-been 7-hour travel day into a 12-hour one (not including driving time to and from the airports), it opened up a few seats in the back so this prego could take a nap during the change-over, and spread out a bit for the rest of a very long flight to Chicago. Also, it made it so I didn't have to wait 3+ hours for Michael to come pick me up in Raleigh, though it made for a pretty late night for us both, and my poor hunny had to work in the morning.

After three weeks at home visiting my family and friends - and Michael's - it's so good to be back in my own house and to not have anything pressing to do. As much as I enjoyed catching up with everyone and spending quality time with those I love and miss terribly, it did get a little stressful moving from house to house, making sure everyone got as much time with us as they wanted, and driving about as often as we slept. I definitely got what I needed out of that vacation: a lot of good conversation, some laughter thrown in there, a few people to rub my belly and tell me I still look great (that's something I think every pregnant lady wants to hear!), a little advice, a LOT of snow, along with Christmas cheer and some holiday traditions I've grown up with, a taste of Washington, and also, a chance to miss my humble little duplex in good ol' Jacksonville, North Carolina. I had been spending way too much time cooped up in this house, but now that I've been away, I love it all over again. That is, afterall, part of what trips like this one are all about.

new beginings

2009-01-01T21:09:00.000-08:00

I guess you could say that it's one of my resolutions to start up this blog about my Bump and the sweet little boy that will soon be in our lives, and what day would be more suitable for the first entry than the first day of the new year? The obvious intention is to keep friends and relatives up-to-date on all the happenings in the Stover household, most importantly those of baby Caleb, but I also thought it would be neat to have this space to help me reflect, and later, to remenisce. It's a project that I've been looking forward to doing ever since we found out we were expecting, and since I've had my sister-in-law's blog as an example. I know our son is going to be the biggest joy, and I want to be able to share him with everyone, even if it has to be through words, pictures, and videos, considering most of the people in our lives won't have the chance to witness it first-hand for some time...

This is the first of many pictures you will see that features me, my wonderful husband Michael, and our tiny blessing beneath the bump, Caleb Preston Stover. The shot was taken by my big brother Darin's wife Deanna the day after Christmas, and I absolutely love it. I'd say we're pretty much smitten with our little man already (not to mention madly in love with each other ;]), and overall very excited to meet him and embark upon the incredible journey that is parenthood!

I've heard there's no way to prepare for what having a baby actually requires - mentally, emotionally, and physically - and I know it's going to be the hardest thing I've ever done, but I also have a pretty good feeling that it'll be the most thrilling and rewarding experience of my life, and I really feel like I'm ready... most of the time. I can't imagine a greater happiness than sharing all the love I posess with my spouse and with this child, and seeing the amazing person he turns out to be.

So here's to the new year, and the new beginnings it will bring. I hope to continue to better myself, to be the best wife and mother I can possibly be, and to enrich the lives of those I love.