7th Month

This month seems to have flown. It probably didn't help that it was the  homestretch of my summer break. I enjoyed being off all summer with Caleb more than I ever imagined. This month he has really changed. He seems to be losing all his "baby-isms" and is starting to look more like a toddler. I looked back at his baby pictures the other day and cried the whole time. God is so good. Caleb is the missing puzzle piece that our family needed. Here is what he has been up to:

• Diapers: size 3 (this is the last box before we move up to 4's)
• weight: 21 pounds 5 ounces
• Clothes: 12-18 months (yes he is a hoss)
• Teeth: 2 on the bottom and cutting his top 2
• favorite game: peek-a-boo (He laughs so hard when you say boo!!!)
• babysitters: Granny (Daniel's mom) and Mimi (my mom)--- he is one blessed little booger!
• favorite foods: anything sweet (ugh-oh, must get that from Dada and Momma)
• words: dada and attempts to say mama while screaming for what he wants
• he is army crawling EVERYWHERE and loves to scoot on his back (it's hilarious)
• he is trying really hard to pull up, but hasn't quite mastered it yet
• super strong thighs-- He gets these from his dada too
• mastered sitting up this month and smiles when he does it-- he gets so proud of himself
• naps- 2-3 naps a day
• food: 5-6 meals a day (3 which include baby food)
• self feeding- he is very good at reaching for something and putting it in his mouth- the other day he stole my burrito and put it straight in his mouth. He did the same with Tate's PBJ sandwich
•  bedtime: around 8:30
• wakes up VERY EARLY between 5:30-6:30 every morning
• bathtime: he loves it more than ever now that he can sit up and play with his toys
• new discoveries: sitting up, crawling, scooting, waving goodbye, feeding himself puffs
• toys: he would rather play with paper or a house hold item than a kid toy
• mischievous:  he loves to play with cords on the ground and I have had to start swatting his hand to teach him that they are not safe. He is very strong willed.
• hair color: still blondish brown with a little ginger tint
• eye color: muddy gray- sometimes look blue
• Favorite evening activity: going on ride around the farm in the Big Red (our new farm toy)

I love this boy more than I ever thought I could love anything. He is such a blast and makes everyone smile. He seems to like the ladies too! He is quite the flirt. At church he has learned how to pull himself up on the back of the pew and he just stands and babbles at all the women behind us. He is a very happy baby and is constantly babbling. He has his fussy moments and evenings are not his best time of day. He does not sit still much and doesn't want to be held when you are sitting. He is very active. I enjoy watching Daniel and him play. I am totally fine with being outnumbered by two boys in the house. I am very busy these days but I wouldn't trade it for anything. Here are a few pictures for his 7 month shoot (very informal). He is ready for some Razorback Football!

Sixth month

Eek!! Caleb is 1/2 a year old!!! Where has time gone??? He is quite the handful these days. His little personality is really starting to develop and he keeps us on our toes!! Here are a few things he has been up to:

•  weight: a whopping 20 lbs
• clothes size 12 months 
• diapers size 3
• rolling everywhere
• prefers to sit up- can't get to the position on his own, but trying hard
• lays on his side with his legs elevated in the air- I call it his Pilates move- trying hard to pull himself up
• drools, blows bubbles, and says "ba" ALL THE TIME
• less spit up this month- more DROOL
• cutting his 2 bottom teeth- can we say MOODY??
• Does not like to be held while you sit- wants to be up moving around at all times
• eats baby food 3 times a day
• drinks 6-7 five ounce bottles a day
• drinks only formula now :( I stropped nursing a week ago
• not crazy about formula
• very hard to take out to eat- he wants EVERYTHING we have
• enjoys eating apples, bananas, yogart, and avacado
• tried puffs several times- gags each time
• rode in the car seat for 12 hours straight with only one small meltdown- praise GOD
• enjoyed his first trip to the beach: loved the water, did not like the sand
• enjoys listening to music
• would rather play with household items (diapers, wipes, anything plastic, boxes) than his own toys
• just started crying when you change his clothes- must want to stay in just a diaper
• suddenly very interested in his paci- takes it in and out often
• enjoys going to walmart-- he looks around at everything and flirts with all the pretty women 
• still enjoys bath time and chews on his rubber duckies the whole time
• said first words "dada"
• babbles alot
• smiles has gotten even bigger and brighter this month- melts my heart
• lights up and smiles really big when dada comes home- just precious
• makes a very funny screechy laugh when we say "boo"
• loves playing peek-a-boo
• just started acting scared when the hair dryer, blender, or vacuum is first turned on
• still sleeps in the pack-n-play
• takes 2-3 naps a day (1.5 -2 hrs. each )
• morning baby- goes to bed around 8 and sleeps till 6 (7 is pushing it)
• hair color- dirty blonde with one brown section in the back
• eyes are a dark grey/blue- Daniel's family calls them the "Muddy Warren Eyes"

I had so much fun taking his 6 month bubble bath pictures. I could not pick a favorite so I posted several.  He has really become Mr. Personality lately, I just love it!

Happy 5th!

So.....Daniel and I will not forget our 5th anniversary because it ended up being quite eventful. Not the fun romantic events one might think of when they hear "5th wedding anniversary". Let me explain. 

Thursday night, Daniel agreed to watch Caleb so I could go to girls night. I went and loved every minute of visiting with my precious co workers- I am truly blessed to work with the best ladies. I enjoyed the menu too- breakfast for dinner (my fav-- doesn't happen much at my house bc D thinks breakfast is just for the AM) anyways when I returned home all was well. The boys were having fun swinging outside and I was refreshed from a short break.

Daniel and I got in some alone time outside after Caleb feel asleep then off to bed we went. The next day was our 5th anniversary and even though Daniel had to work all day I had planned on taking him dinner and spending some time with him at the station. 

Well my plans soon changed when I woke up around midnight with the strangest pains. I had heartburn that reminded me of my third trimester and I'm pretty certain the neighbors could hear my stomach churning. Well, I laid in bed wondering what was about to happen.

A few minutes later I rushed to the bathroom and for the next 4 hours Straight I went every 10 minutes. It was the worst stomach bug ever!! Why sure I've had my share of "stomach bugs"but this one was killer. Needless to say, Daniel was up all night worrying about me. To top things off he didn't want me to get Caleb sick so he very nicely decided to feed him at his 5am feeding. Caleb's little world was thrown for a loop because he has never been fed from anyone but me at his early morning feed because I have always nursed him. Well he cried and even screamed "ma ma". Broke my heart!!

Anyways Daniel went back to sleep for a few minutes until it was time to get ready for work. Caleb woke up screaming-- but I was not supposed to help. I felt like the worst mom. Daniel threw Caleb's things together and took him to his moms on his way to work. I was soooo thankful she was able to take care of him because I was soooo weak. I laid in bed all day because I could not find the energy to get up. 

Side note this was also the week that I started cutting out breastfeeding!!! Bad timing?? 

Anyways around 4 I decided that I needed to get Caleb back and I just laid on the floor with him till bedtime! I had no energy whatsoever. Around the time I was putting Caleb to bed, I got a call from Daniel and he said he was coming home because he was sick as a dog. 

Well the next morning we were both weaklings due to the lack of nourishment. Therefore, Daniel's precious cousin arrived at 7 am to take little man to a germ free residence. 

Daniel and I had the day to ourselves and All we could do was muster up the strength to get off the couch to eat crackers and drink sprite. Marriage at its finest!!

On a lighter note: I weigh the same I did on our wedding day thanks to this awesome "diet". 

No really, I've learned there is no man I'd rather be with than Daniel Davis. He always keeps me laughing and even when I'm down and out he makes me feel better. Cheers to 5 blessed years!!! 

Gotta eat!!

When Daniel and I found out we were pregnant we discussed how we wanted to feed our little one!! Yes we might be strange, but we wanted to teach Caleb early on how to have a healthy lifestyle. We discussed breastfeeding and I was determined to give it all I had! Well now that we have done that successfully for almost 6 months, it's time to talk about FOOD. We decided that fresh veggies would come in season about the time that he would start solids so we set a goal to make our own baby food. 

Our pediatrician encouraged us to start feeding Caleb rice cereal with breast milk at 4 months old. We started and he quickly began to master the spoon concept. For those of you that have been around lil man you already know he looooves to eat! If we eat he wants to join in. Therefore we decided at 5 months to get serious about baby food. My mother in law had purchased us a baby bullet and we had already decided we wanted to make all of Caleb's baby food. 

Daniel and his mom spent hours preparing a garden and it was starting to produce veggies around the time we decided to start food. Therefore I got out my baby bullet recipe book and started reading. 

When you are new at something it seems like it takes a while to get in the "groove". My first efforts were tiring. I followed the recipe book and prepared one veggie at a time and then filled up my Ice cube trays---stole this idea from my dear friend. And it seemed to be taking forever! I started thinking there must be a faster way to prepare a large quantity of baby food.

That's when it occurred to me that we had a large two tiered steamer in our cabinets that was covered in 4 years of dust--- yes Daniel and I used to be super heathy and would prepare completely steamed meals(chicken or fish and veggies). Well obviously we have gotten away from that and our steamer was just collecting dust. 

The day I pulled it out we had several pieces of zucchini and squash from the garden and I had purchased 5 sweet potatoes. I cleaned the veggies and cut them up and threw them all in the steamer. 20 minutes later the veggies were ready to blend. Then I made anotherdevision to use our full sized blender instead of the very miniature "bullet". This saved sooo much time and I feel like my veggies were smoother in the blender. 

*** I think the bullet is great for preparing small quantities of baby food but I was ready to make a lot and fill the freezer. ***

After all the food was prepared I filled ice cube trays and put them in the freezer.

A few hours later I popped the food out and put each type of food in galloon size baggies. 

Now when it's time to eat all I have to do is get out 2 cubes of baby food and thaw them out. It's just as easy as store bought food and I have the luxury of knowing what is inside each meal he eats!

So far Caleb has eaten zucchini, squash, green beans, sweet potatoes, bananas, avocado, and apples. 

Fifth Month

Wow Caleb is changing so much these days! I am so thankful that I have been off work for summer break. I am trying to enjoy all the time I have with little man. Here are the stats and a few fun facts from month 5:

• weight: 18 pounds and 9 ounces 
• length: 27 inches long
• diapers- size 3
• clothes size: 9-12 months
• will not leave a pair of shoes on
• Everything makes its way in his mouth
• Grabs for everything these days
• He is still a drool factory and spits up often
• Switched from eating every 2 hours to 3 hours this month
• Nurses 7 times a day. 
• Bedtime- 8:30ish
• Normally wakes up to feed between 4-5 and goes back to sleep for a few more hours.
• Currently sleeping in the pack in play in our bedroom. He did sleep a few nights in his crib but I guess I'm lazy, it's easier having him in our room since he still has an early morning feed(and me climbing stairs in the dark at 4am is really not a good idea).
• Loves to smile and is very observant
• Enjoys watching people talk and eat (You can see his little wheels a turning when he watches you)
• Has become mobile--- can roll completely over now!
• Now that he is exploring I have noticed he babbles less. He still makes some noises but if there is alot going on he will probably be watching instead of babbling. I am pretty sure he has started to say "da-da". I have not got it on video yet though!
• Normally takes one morning nap between 1-2 hours and one good afternoon nap-- occasionally cat naps in between
• Goes swimming several times each week-- seems to like splashing around (Hope this is a good sign for our beach trip)
• Fights his naps most days
• Sleepy cue: crying like "ooey ooey ew" aka as the "wind down"
• Spent first night in a hotel 
• First boat ride: The poor guy had to wear a terribly uncomfortable life vest the whole time on the boat but he was a trooper. Caleb slept the whole time the boat was moving. 
• Loves his jump a roo. He goes round and round. He spends lots of time drooling and grinning in it too. 
• Funniest laugh. He will belly laugh every now and then and it makes my heart so happy. He loves to play peek a boo and when you say boo he gets tickled. Dad can get him to laugh by throwing him high in the air. 
• Tried bananas and avocado. I think he preferred the bananas but I'm pretty sure he won't turn any food down. I am looking forward to trying more foods this month. 
• Trying really hard to sit up, he just doesn't have enough muscle strength to stay up. I know next month it's bound to happen.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

I am loving this phase of life right now and Caleb is becoming so much fun. I am looking forward to all the summer fun we will be having!!! Stay tuned: we are beach bound in July!

Fourth Month

This month has definitely been the fastest one so far. I cannot believe my little baby is so BIG! I know it will keep going faster and faster. I’m sure it feels like it has gone by so fast because I have been so busy working full time and had lots going on. I am definitely ready for life to slow down a little bit so I can enjoy time with my precious family.

• Caleb is currently wearing size 3 diapers and 6-9 month clothes. He weighs 18 pounds and I am not sure how long he is (We will find out at his appointment June 7).
• Caleb still enjoys going outside and has gotten a little sun tan. We spend lots of time outside playing on a blanket under our shade tree and swinging in our tree swing. It’s so funny because he even has tan lines in his rolls.
• Caleb LOVES bath time more than ever. We moved him out of the kitchen sink because he way too big and made a huge mess trying to splash around. I decided to move Caleb to our bathtub and put just a little water in the bottom. I lay him on his back and he smiles and splashes the whole time. As a time saver, Caleb has had a few showers with daddy too! We hope that his love of bath time means that he will enjoy pool time this summer!  
•  Caleb seems to like our afternoon walks for the most part. He lays back in the stroller with his feet kicked up on the arm rest. He has no worries! He always gets mad at me when we walk facing the sun. (I try to go later in the afternoon to prevent too much sun exposure)
• Caleb is now big enough for his exersaucer. I think it’s a nice break for him since he spends so much time playing on his back. He plays really hard for about 15 minutes and then his neck muscles get tired of holding up his big heavy head and he starts to fuss. I think this has helped make his neck muscles stronger.  
•  Caleb is a ROLLER. He thinks it’s funny when he rolls from his tummy to back. It’s so cute because when he lands on his back he looks around and smiles really big like he is proud of himself. He hasn’t quite figured out how to roll from his back to his tummy, but I have a feeling it won’t take him too much longer to figure it out. He doesn’t spend much time on his tummy now that he knows how to roll over.
• Caleb is full of laughs and big smiles. I just LOVE IT. He makes lots of noises when you tickle him on his feet and blow on his belly. He seems to have a pretty good sense of humor. 
• Caleb is not smiles all the time; he does have a temper when it comes to waiting for his food. He can go from playing and smiling to screaming for his food in a quick second. Daniel and I laugh at him when he acts this way, but we know it won’t always be so cute.
• Caleb has still only had breast milk (I have met my short term goal) and eats about every 2-3 hours during the day. We have started feeding him rice cereal with breast milk at his 6 o’clock feeding and he is doing such a great job eating it. I cannot wait to try him on baby food! Daniel and Granny worked hard on planting a garden this month. I cannot wait to steam the veggies from our garden and make Caleb fresh baby food.
•  Caleb still goes to bed after his 8 o’clock feeding and normally sleeps between 7-9 hours at time. I have felt like a new woman getting decent amounts of a sleep again. He is such a morning baby. He normally wakes up between 6:00- 7:00 and he is ready to play! 
• Caleb is still sleeping in his rock n sleeper in our room, yes I am terrible. We have made some progress though; he is now napping in his crib a few times a day. Our summertime goal is to get him to sleep in his crib at night (I will start trying as soon as school gets out). 
• Caleb is still a cat napper. He normally takes 30-45 minute naps. Most mornings, he takes on longer nap (anywhere from one hour to an hour and a half). I have noticed that Caleb sleeps much sounded during his naps now that he is more active. I guess he is just wearing himself out. 
• Caleb drools on EVERYTHING and spits up a lot when he is bottle fed. He goes through multiple changes of clothes a day. 
• Along with the drool, Caleb always has his hands and fingers in his mouth. He has learned how to move objects to his mouth and chew on them. 
• Caleb still has brown hair with an auburn tint. His eyes are still greyish blue.
• Caleb is very expressive and has some of the funniest
  faces. He will pout his bottom lip out in a hurry when he is mad. His right eye is bigger than his left when he smiles (just like me). Poor guy! He raises his right eye brow when he is staring something down (just like me). He definitely still has dad’s feet and tiny ears. His legs are very strong and his thighs are super thick like dad’s. I think he is a good mix of the both of us!

  

  This is him about to roll

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

I am looking forward to the next month so much. Here are a few fun things I am looking forward to: swimming in Granny’s pool, eating fresh veggies from the garden, camping trips, and lots of fun in the sun! I am loving every minute of being a mom. I am so blessed!

Third Month

I have been slacking on my "blogging". Going back to work full-time and being a mommy does not allow me much free time these days.

I cannot believe my lil man is already 3 months old. This month has been my favorite in so many different ways. He is becoming so interactive and my love for him grows deeper each day. Here are some of Caleb's milestones for this month:

• Caleb is still my porker weighing in at 15 pounds and 12 ounces. I am not sure how long he is we will have to measure him soon.
• Caleb is a great eater (as always) and nurses every 2-3 hours in the day. He has had more bottles of expressed milk this month because I went back to work. Caleb has no trouble drinking from a bottle- Daniel and I joke that he would lap the milk up out of a bowel if that's the only way he could get it. The boy is going to eat! He is eating about 4 ounce bottles right now- we tried 5 but he spit up a TON!
• Caleb is quite the social eater these days. I am not sure if it is because he is used to bottles being easier and faster, but when he nurses his head is constantly bobbing off and he will look up at me and give me his big gummy smile! This melts my heart, reminds me how all my hard work is paying off.
• Caleb is full of drool and loves to blow bubbles. It is so hard to keep him clean. It seems as soon as he gets a new outfit on one of two things happen: a) he spits up all over it or b) he drools all down his shirt. 
• Caleb has really discovered his hands and they are almost always lodged in his mouth. His hand eye coordination is getting so much better and he loves to grab at things; especially hair!
• Most of this month Caleb was in size 2 diapers, we just moved up to 3's because he was starting to leak out of his diapers. 
• Caleb is now wearing 6 month clothes (ah), his 3-6 month pants are too small and I just had to move him up to 6-9 month pants. His 6 month pajamas are getting snug as well. This boy does not get a chance to wear his cloths out, he wears things like once or twice then it is too small.
• Caleb has been a very observant baby from day 1 but he is getting even better at focusing in on things. He enjoys looking in the mirror. It cracks me up when he finds himself because he has a stare down with his reflection which normally ends with a big gummy grin.
• Speaking of gummy grins, Caleb loves being talked to. When someone talks to him with a high pitch voice he will smile so big. He still loves to coo and make sounds. He has even laughed a few times. Most of the time when he hears someone else laugh that makes me him laugh- I think he is going to be full of belly laughs like his daddy!
• Caleb is still a morning baby- most mornings he wakes up while I am getting ready for work so I feed him and put him on his playmate. He is such a good little player while I get ready- he just plays  with his toys and cooes and laughs. It makes getting ready so much easier on me, knowing that he is happy! 
• Caleb still goes to bed around 8:30 and normally sleeps between 5-7.5 hours his first stretch then about 3 hours his second stretch. I figured out that he was waking up around 1 AM out of habit. I normally let him cry it out for about 5 minutes and then he is back out for a few more hours. 
• Caleb is no longer swaddled and has outgrown his swing. He naps and sleeps in his rock-n-sleeper. I really need to transition him to a flat surface to sleep on, but its hard when I am not here most of the day.
• Caleb has the best babysitters. Daniel's mom and my mom have been watching him since I have gone back to work. It sure makes leaving him so much easier. He loves spending time with his Granny and Mimi!
• Caleb still loves his tummy time. His neck is getting so strong. He enjoys sitting up (with our help) and looking around at everything. He has even used his Bumbo a few times- I think he looks like such a Big Boy when he is sitting up! 
• Caleb loves his bath time even more this month. I never end bath time with a dry cloths. He loves to kick and splash in the sink. I am looking forward to when he sits up better and can be moved to the bath tub. I think that will give him even more room to play.
• This past month, we went on several walks.Caleb loves riding in the stroller. He seems to enjoy laying back in his stroller and kicking his feet up on the handrail. 
• Caleb is very much like his daddy, he LOVES being outside. We learned this last month, but with the warmer days he has had the opportunity to be outside a lot more. Warm afternoons we like to go outside and play on a blanket in the grass. Another favorite thing to do is swing in the front yard. 

• It seems like I am forgetting to write down so much. This month has been so much fun. I thank God everyday for the opportunity to be Caleb's mommy. He is such a blessing to our family. I am trying to soak it all in!