Babble Babble Toil and Trouble

Caleb is keeping us so busy that I haven't had much time to post an update for a while, so here goes -

October has been absolutely crazy and so much fun! The first weekend in October, Rudy took the band to Tulsa for a marching contest. Caleb and I took advantage of him being out of town and flew to Arkansas to be with my grandmother on her 80th birthday. She said it was the best gift I could've ever given her, but it was truly my pleasure. I just love watching my parents and grandparents with Caleb, so it was awesome to get to spend the whole weekend with Memmie and Poppie. Mom and Mr. L. came to pick us up on Sunday and take us to the airport. Not only were they helping us out by giving us a ride to the airport...they couldn't stand having Caleb so close by and not getting to see him. I know the truth! They aren't fooling me!

This past weekend, Jan came to our house and took care of Caleb while I went to Fayetteville for my annual homecoming weekend with Leslie and Cindy. Rudy had a marching contest on Saturday, so Jan agreed to come in and got to spend some time with Caleb as a reward. I missed him so much! Being away from Caleb and Rudy for a whole weekend was rough! Even though I had an amazing weekend in Fayetteville with "my girls", I was happy to get home and get a big smile from "my boys."

October just doesn't stop for us...this weekend is my birthday party. Mom is coming up on Friday night to visit and - again - spend some time with Caleb. She's going to LaLa-sit on Saturday night while we're at my party. I'm very grateful! The following weekend, Caleb will be spending some quality time with Jerry and Rebecca while Rudy has the big Greater St. Louis marching contest at the Dome. Jenny and I are going to Vegas to see Jimmy Buffett as a celebration of our birthdays. It seems like I keep "pawning" my child off every weekend, but that's really not the case at all! This has been a particularly crazy month for us and I miss him so very much every time I'm away from him.

Caleb has really started to babble more this month. He's babbling mostly vowels, but some early consonants too. I'm hearing some /b/, /m/ and /d/ sounds. Nothing in the world gets him "talking" as much as Dewey does. Everytime he catches a glimpse of Dewey, he starts jabbering and won't take his eyes off of him.

On Sunday night, we finally hit a major milestone that I've been waiting for - Caleb rolled over again. He actually rolled from his tummy to his back 4 times. I've been encouraging him to do it for weeks - since he did it the first time and got scared. He's only done it one more time since Sunday, but at least now I know he can. He is sitting up with less and less support and can sit up alone for about 5 seconds on a solid surface - until something to his left or right (usually Dewey) catches his attention.

We've introduced squash and peas into Caleb's ever-growing repertoire of foods. He really likes eating from the spoon now and doesn't try quite as much to grab it when I'm feeding him. He gets so mad when I don't feed him fast enough and also when I wipe his mouth. He still doesn't have any teeth, but there are a couple of bumps on his gums that may become teeth at any time. I was late getting my teeth, so maybe he will be too. Caleb's hair has really started to grow and get thicker this past week. It stands straight up in some places and is as blonde as it can be. He's a total cottontop! When it's dry, there isn't any curl, but when it's wet, you can see a little. It would be bizarre if he ended up with straight hair, but I think it would be a total blessing. Toddler boys with curls are so cute, but I always feel sad for middle school and high school boys with curly hair.

I can't wait to see what amazing feats Caleb surprises us with this week!

Carrots and Raspberries

I can't believe I haven't posted anything in 12 days! Let me try to remember what all has happened...

Caleb and I made our first solo roadtrip on September 22nd. We met Mom in Fayetteville and had a great weekend! On Friday, we hit the road as soon as possible and unknowingly drove through a tornado warning on the way down there. The drive wasn't too bad until we actually got to Arkansas, though. We were less than 20 miles from the hotel and traffic came to a standstill. Come to find out, there were power lines down on the interstate. That added about 45 minutes to our trip, but we made it. By the time we got to the hotel, I was completely worn out. Mom was excited to see Caleb (and me) and we caught up quickly and then hit the bed. On Saturday, Leslie came to pick me up and we went to the football game. It was a crazy game and I was tired again when it was over. I went back to the hotel and we were lazy all night. We ordered in and just laid around. Mom told me all about her day with Caleb. They went shopping and watched the ballgame on TV. On Sunday, we packed up and headed home. The trip home was a lot smoother than the trip down there! Caleb was a good travel buddy!

The Monday after we got home, I decided it was finally time to tackle the cereal experience. We got everything ready and crossed our fingers and offered Caleb a spoonful of rice cereal. He took to it pretty quickly and even tried to "help" get the spoon to his mouth. Oh, boy! That was the 25th and now we're on to carrots! Tonight was the first trial with something that actually had some taste to it. He LOVED them! He ate about half of the bowl. Actually, he hate less than that and wore a whole lot of it. I still haven't figured out how it got behind his ear! He was thrilled when he realized that he could blow raspberries with carrots in his mouth. I was not nearly as thrilled, but got a little tickled by the whole thing anyway. It was just so stinkin' cute! Caleb still tries to help and loves to chew on the spoon. There are pictures of the cereal experience on the Shutterfly site and a video on DropShots. I'll put some carrot pictures on soon. We can see the beginnings of a couple of teeth coming in. Oddly, they are not in the front of his mouth - more to the side. He chews on anything and everything he can get in his mouth, especially our fingers. He hasn't been too fussy, but just doesn't seem to be himself. We've had to give him Tylenol a couple of times and that seems to help. He doesn't really like the cold teething rings, but will chew on them once they warm up a little.

This past Friday night, Jenny and I took Caleb to the Summit football game and then out to eat. On Saturday, Caleb had a Daddy Day! They had a fun day together while I went to an all day scrapbook crop. Rudy took Caleb to a marching contest, but it was a little loud for him, so they left. Saturday night, they went to see Jerry, Sherry and Rebecca and had dinner with them. On Sunday, Rudy played his trumpet at church. I thought Caleb would be okay in the sanctuary, but he decided that the middle of the sermon would be a good time to "talk" to everyone around us. I took him back into the cry room and we finished the service there. Sunday night, I went to the grocery store and Rudy bravely tackled the task of giving Caleb a bath by himself. He did a great job! He's an awesome Daddy!

This weekend, we're going to Sherwood to spend the weekend with my grandparents. Memmie is turning 80 on Saturday and the best gift I can offer her is a visit from Caleb. What could be better?!? Rudy is taking the band to Tulsa for a marching contest, so it'll just be Caleb and me. We're flying down there on Friday night and coming back on Sunday evening. Should be a fun trip. I'm just trying to figure out how to pack everything!

Baby Boogie, Amoxicillin and a New Cousin

We've had a tough week around here. Caleb hasn't been feeling so hot and just hasn't been himself. That means he's only smiling and laughing about 80% of the time instead of 90%. I guess that's not so bad, but we kind of like him the way he usually is. Since Caleb's doctor appointment last Monday, he's been pretty sluggish and his eyes have been watering a lot. He also has a nagging dry cough and has been spitting up pretty frequently. I tried to tell myself that it was either seasonal allergies or a mild reaction to the shots last week, but it just wouldn't stop. Last night, Caleb went to bed as usual - about 8:30 or 9:00. At 12:20, he woke up crying and sounded like he was miserable. I went into his room to try to put his pacifier in his mouth and rub his head, but he just wouldn't go back to sleep. In my exhausted stupor, I threw in the towel and picked him up. I walked around his room for a while, but he just couldn't be consoled. So, I caved again - the second time in 2 weeks - and took him to bed with me. We both slept off and on all night, but I was completely exhausted all day today. I honestly can't believe I'm still awake now at 10:00. I went ahead and sent Caleb to Carrie's, but called the doctor's office when I got to work. They suggested that I go ahead and bring him in. Fortunately, my schedule allowed me to do that, so I went to get Caleb and take him straight to the doctor. When we got there, I explained his symptoms to Dr. Koenig. He checked for an ear infection and listened to his chest. He said that there really isn't much way to tell the difference between a cold and a sinus infection in babies, other than the length of time that it sticks around. Since Caleb has had symptoms for over a week, he said it was more than likely a sinus infection and wrote a prescription for Amoxicillin. I stopped at Walgreen's on my way back to Carrie's and got it filled. As soon as I smelled it, I was instantly taken back to my childhood. I used to LOVE that stuff!!! We gave him 2 doses today and he seems to be feeling a little bit better - though that may be all in my head. At least he ate tonight and went to bed like normal. Now, we'll see if he stays asleep.

After school, he seemed to be in pretty good spirits, so we kept our plans to go to the Baby Boogie workshop at the Parkway Early Childhood Center. Caleb was amazed to see so many other "little people" in the room. We enjoyed watching the different ages interact with each other and we enjoyed learning some new songs and fun things to play with Caleb. He wasn't too thrilled with the music. It's nothing new for him - we sing to him all the time, so he's used to it. After the workshop, we stayed and played with some of the baby toys for a while. He loved the mirrors the most. That baby that looks back at him in the mirror is just so doggone cute! Who wouldn't love to look at him?

Caleb and I are going to Fayetteville this weekend. My mom is meeting us there and is going to keep Caleb while Leslie and I go to the football game. It should be a fun weekend and I am looking forward to it. Rudy can't go with us, though, because the band has its first marching contest.

Monday was happy day for our family. At 4:17 AM, my cousin Becca gave birth to an 8 lb, 12 oz baby boy named James Maddox Spencer. Maddox is super cute and Becca is doing great. They went home from the hospital today and all is well. I can't wait to introduce "the boys" and watch them grow up together. Hopefully, they will be as close as Becca and I are. Welcome to the world, Baby Maddox!

Four Month Checkup

Caleb had his 4 month checkup this afternoon and all is well! He weighed in at 18 lbs, 10 oz (higher than the 95th percentile) and 26 inches (90th percentile). He's a big boy, but Dr. Koenig said not to worry about it. He said that everything is just fine.

We endured the 2nd round of vaccines and Caleb was a trooper. He cried a little when he got stuck, but he made it through just fine. So far, he hasn't had a fever tonight, but he's been very tired and he's already in bed at 8:00.

I asked Dr. K about starting solid foods and he said to wait until Caleb is consistently drinking 8 oz bottles and still showing signs of hunger. That shouldn't be too much longer. He's already consistently draining 8 oz bottles, but he doesn't seem to be hungry afterwards.

For quite some time, I've been a little concerned about Caleb's eyes being yoked. They sometimes seem to point in slightly different directions. I asked Dr. K about it today and he said that it's not something that he noticed and that everything seems to be fine. He told us how to keep an eye on it (no pun intended) and we're going to do just that. That made me feel better.

Our 4 month old baby boy is healthy and happy and that's all we can ask for in life. Praise be to God!

Roll Over!

We had a busy week around here and it was all topped off with a big achievement. Tuesday and Thursday were the usual band practice nights, so Caleb and I were on our own. On Wednesday, I took him with me to a birthday dinner for a friend and he flirted with everyone at the table.

Friday night was Caleb's first football game experience. It was Summit's first home game, which meant the first performance for the band. I was so excited to see the band's halftime performance and they did a great job! I can't wait to see the rest of the show in a few weeks. Caleb did much better at the game than I expected. I was afraid it would be too loud for him, but it wasn't. He even fell asleep and didn't wake up until the crowd went crazy after a touchdown. We left shortly after halftime and came home so I could put him to bed and get some things cleaned up around the house.

Saturday was a pretty lazy day for us. Caleb took a 3 hour nap and I actually had to wake him up to get ready to go to the Fenton Days parade. The band marched in the parade, so we made sure to be there. Jenny went with us and we all sweated through the hour and a half together. It wasn't a very pleasant experience for Caleb - too hot and the sirens scared him. It will definitely be a while before Caleb goes to another parade.

As soon as the parade was over, we took Jenny home and then went home ourselves. A little later, Jenny came over to the house to keep Caleb and I company because Rudy had another commitment for the night. We had a lazy evening, watching TV and just hanging out. We played with Caleb most of the night. I decided that he needed some tummy time, so I put him down on a blanket on the floor and when he fussed, I helped him roll over on his back. This happened about 3 times and then I flipped him back onto his tummy. All of a sudden, he rolled himself over! When he did, Jenny and I cheered and laughed. He got scared and started crying. I was so excited! I've been trying to help him roll over for weeks and he finally got it! Of course, he hasn't done it again - even though I've certainly given him plenty of opportunities and encouragement.

Tomorrow is Caleb's 4 month check-up. He'll get the 2nd round of vaccinations and all of the other fun stuff that comes along with the territory. I have some questions for Dr. Koenig that I need to make sure I have written down so that I don't forget to ask. I'll try to post tomorrow night so that everyone gets the update from the appointment.

Ouch! But What a Great Weekend!

We had a super weekend, even though the Hogs lost in a major way! Oh, well...next weekend is Utah State. Maybe that will be a little less painful.

We didn't get to Fayetteville until almost midnight on Friday. We went straight to bed and woke up ready for a fun day on Saturday. It was one of the best days I can remember in Fayetteville. The weather was gorgeous and there was electricity in the air. It was amazing! We started off our day by meeting Jan and Michael to go take some family pictures on the Hill. We took a bunch of them and you can see them on the Shutterfly site. Some turned out great, but it was certainly hard to get a good picture of all 3 of us at the same time! While we were taking pictures, we met Miss Arkansas and had Caleb's pictures taken with her. She was shooting some video and pictures for the Miss America pageant, so maybe Caleb will be TV-famous!
After the "photo shoot," we handed Caleb off to Jan and Michael and they went to Rogers for the rest of the day/night. Rudy and I took off walking to Dickson St. and had lunch at Jose's. Yum! Jerry met us there and after lunch, we walked up and over the Hill to go to the Union. We bought a few things in the Union and then went down to band practice. On the way down there, we picked up Leslie. We also saw Frank Broyles and had our pictures taken with him. That's Arkansas Royalty! After we watched the band practice for a little while, we went back through the practice facility and as we came out of the bathroom, there was Frank again...showing Jerry Jones around the place. Holy Moly!!!!

After that, we walked over to some friends' tailgate party. On the way, I slipped off of the heel of my "cute shoes" and landed on my butt on the ground. It hurt pretty bad, but I got up and dusted myself off. I have been sore ever since! We stayed at the tailgate party for a while and then walked to the Alumni house for the pre-game rally. That was a lot of fun and something new for us. We walked over to the stadium about an hour before game time and got there just in time for the band's pre-game festivities. We had a great time and enjoyed the game, until the 2nd half, when things got really ugly. USC managed to beat us 50-14. Actually, the way we turned the ball over, we managed to beat ourselves that bad. However...the day was so great that it was all worth it. What a day!

On Sunday, we checked out and went to Rudy's grandparents' house in Rogers. We were excited to see Caleb and everyone else. We had a nice lunch with the Voises and with Jan and Michael. We left there at about 3:30 and headed for home. We got here safe and sound last night and had a relaxing day today. Now, it's time to head for the bed and get ready for another week. It's a short one, but very busy. Rudy's first football game is this Friday. Saturday is the Fenton Days parade and a drumline contest. Whew - it will be a crazy weekend, but at least we get to stay home.

Caleb turned 4 months old on Saturday and I'll be taking his teddy bear pictures this week. It is amazing how much he is growing. He is now very successfully reaching for things...and taking them straight to his mouth. He's on the verge of rolling over and his laughter is enough to make any day better. He let us know pretty clearly this past week that he's ready to increase to 8 ounce bottles, so we have. He'll be eating cereal soon - probably after our doctor's appointment next Monday. That will be fun, I'm sure! Mr. Bubble Blower - spitting cereal all over us - can't wait!

Are You Ready for Some Football

We are officially on the 48 hour countdown to kickoff! This time tomorrow, we'll be in the car headed for Fayetteville. The Hogs are playing USC on Saturday night. I'm not very optimistic about the outcome of the game, but it will be fun, nonetheless. Jan is picking up Caleb on Saturday morning and he's spending the night with her and the Voises in Rogers. We're headed home on Sunday night. It should be a super-fun weekend!

So, what's been happening with us?!?

The most amazing thing that has happened this week: laughter! Last Thursday night, after an exceptionally hard day at work, Caleb made it all better. He was laying on our bed and I started tickling him and doing our usual afternoon playtime things. He opened up and laughed - really belly laughed! It was so amazing! You can share in Caleb's laughter at: www.dropshots.com/haleyvillines

We had a fun weekend with Mom and Mr. L. They came in on Friday night and we went to dinner. Rudy had to work, so he wasn't with us until Saturday morning. Mom and Mr. L. thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Caleb. Mom and I took a short trip to Gordman's on Saturday to update Caleb's "wardrobe" and get a couple of little happies for ourselves to. We had a great dinner at home on Saturday night and enjoyed visiting with each other. I stayed at home with a sleeping Caleb on Sunday morning while Rudy took my parents to the airport. We spent the rest of the day relaxing and getting some things done around the house. The brass group that Rudy plays with had a gig at a bridal fair, so he was gone for a while. I kept noticing that it was pretty warm in the house and I finally went and looked at the thermostat. It was set on 77, but it was 85 in the house. Hmmm... There was no way that we were about to call a repairman on a Sunday, so I turned off the A/C and kicked all of the fans into high gear. At about 9:00, it became all too clear that we were not going to be able to sleep upstairs, so we got out the big air mattress and inflated it in the basement, where it wasn't AS hot as the rest of the house. Caleb slept in his pack & play in the basement too and we were just one big happy family. As soon as I got a chance at work on Monday, I called a repair company and made an appointment for the afternoon. The repairman was right on time when I got home from work and fixed the A/C quickly. It wasn't a very big deal - but $150 later, we were cooling off! It was awesome to be in our own bed Monday night and we were cool enough to actually get some good sleep.

It's been a crazy week for us, as usual. We're all healthy and doing well, though, so we can't complain.

Go Hogs!!!!

We're All Better!

Oh, what a weekend! Rudy ended up with the crud that I had. We called Jerry and Sherry on Saturday and begged them to come get Caleb. (We didn't have to beg very much...they love him!!!) Rudy and I were sick bums on Saturday and Saturday night. I went to get Caleb on Sunday morning and went to church with Jerry. By the time I got home, Rudy was feeling much better and we're back to normal now. We're just keeping our fingers crossed that Caleb doesn't get it too!

Caleb's First BooBoo, Mama is Sick and Daddy's Students are Back

Caleb has completed his first full week of daycare and he lived to tell about it. When I went to pick him up on Monday, Carrie introduced me to a little girl who she said would only be there this week. Well, the first two days with that extra little pair of hands were difficult for Caleb. Monday, she screamed through naptime, so he didn't get a very good nap at all. On Tuesday, I knocked on the door and Carrie answered it holding Caleb as usual. He was facing away from me and she said, "Before you see him, we had a minor accident, it's really not that bad." He turned around and I could see blood on the top of his nose. Carrie explained that the little girl was trying to be sweet and "share" a book with Caleb, but got too close and scratched him. I didn't get upset - these things happen. She did go to time out and apologized. She even took the baby wipes to Carrie to help her clean up his cut. When we got home, it was still bleeding and did so for quite a while. It finally stopped and after his bath that night, it didn't look so bad.
On Wednesday, the school buses started rolling again in Rockwood. Rudy's days and evenings are once again filled with middle and high school students. I don't know how he does it. My days are now filled with phone calls to parents, testing sessions with 3-5 year olds and meetings, meetings, meetings. I always look forward to picking up Caleb at 3:15!

As for today, I have caught a nasty bug and have spent the day throwing up and sleeping. I have a touch of fever and I hurt all over! Rudy went ahead and took Caleb to Carrie's and he stayed there all day. I couldn't even go pick him up - Rudy had to go get him. Now, because of my fever, I'm afraid to be around him. I can hear him talking to Rudy downstairs and crying now and then. Rudy is being awesome to take full care of Caleb and let me just be sick. Mamas aren't supposed to be sick.

A Wild and Crazy Week!

Since the last time I posted, so much has happened in the Villines household!

On Saturday (8/5), Rudy and I were given the royal treatment at the Cardinals game! Caleb stayed with Monica, because it was just too hot to take him and it's so loud there. When Rudy's band played the National Anthem at the game back in June, there was a parking mix-up and it was a big mess! So...the group sales representative for the Cardinals offered us free tickets to a game and invited us onto the field for batting practice. Wow! We met him at the stadium and he took us straight onto the field. We stood right beside the dugout and watched the Cards take BP. It was awesome! Rudy even got Albert Pujols' autograph on a baseball for Caleb. We were then taken to a "party room" on the first base line. It was air-conditioned and had outdoor seats, plus there was a free buffet and drinks. The night was awesome and the Cards beat the Brewers. Albert even hit a homerun!

Last week was the dreaded "back to work" week for us. On Monday, we went over to Carrie's house so that Rudy could meet her and her family. We were all in agreement about her keeping Caleb for us, so that was a complete load off of my mind!

On Wednesday night, I packed my lunch and Caleb's diaper bag with a heavy, heavy heart. I knew he would be okay, but I just dreaded the beginning of a whole new chapter in our lives. The chapter we were in was so amazing and I knew that the next one could not possibly be as great - it meant less time with my baby.

On Thursday morning, I got up and got ready for work. Then, I fed Caleb and Rudy and I got him dressed and ready for the day. Of course, when it came time for me to leave, the little stinker gave me a great big smile that melted my heart! I left the house with tears in my eyes and met Monica for breakfast in Eureka. Rudy had the hardest job of all. He had to drop Caleb off at Carrie's and go to work. He called and left me a message afterward, saying that he had changed his mind and didn't want to be in charge of drop-offs. I told him that was just tough, because I couldn't do it. I'd rather do every single middle of the night feeding than have to do drop-offs in the mornings.

I made it through my first day of work and only called to check on Caleb at lunch. I was pretty impressed with myself! I was relieved to find that he was doing well and was actually napping when I called. When I picked him up at 3:45, he was playing in the floor with Carrie and was in a great mood! That made me feel so much better. When we got home, we took a little nap together and then got the house straightened up.

About 9:15, Jan and Chris made it here from Arkansas. Jan and I gave Caleb a bath and then got him ready for bed. The poor little guy was exhausted and so was I.
Jan and Chris kept Caleb on Friday, so leaving for work was a little easier. Just knowing he would be at home made me feel a little bit better. I couldn't wait to get home that afternoon to see him, though! Friday night, we went to dinner at Zia's on the Hill. It was good, but not great. Caleb was an angel. He slept all the way through dinner.

On Saturday, Rudy played in the Arkansas Alumni Association softball tournament. I worked the concessions and it was a long day! Jan brought Caleb out to the ballfield for a little bit and everyone enjoyed seeing him. We were too tired to cook dinner Saturday night, so we went out for Mexican food. Yum!!!!

Jan and Chris left this morning and we had a lazy day at home. I even put off running my errands until tomorrow. I guess Caleb and I will have a busy afternoon going to the bank, post office and grocery store. I did manage to do a little laundry today and get our things ready for going to work/Carrie's tomorrow. Caleb slept most of the day. I think all of the activity of the weekend was just a little much for him - and we all know he doesn't want to miss anything exciting!

As far as new developments for Caleb, it's all about the raspberries! We have laughed so much at him for blowing spit bubbles and making the craziest noises with his mouth! Sometimes he even spits on us. Rudy told him today that he looked like he was foaming at the mouth. It's pretty humorous, but I kind of miss the cooing and gooing from a couple of weeks ago. I'm so glad I got some video of it! I'll have to do the same thing with the raspberries.

Tummy time is getting a little better and Caleb's tolerance of the bathtub has improved a thousand percent. He is grabbing at things and taking them straight to his mouth. He has also developed a love for sucking on his fingers. It kills me to let him do it, but sometimes I have no choice. I've tried and tried to pull his fingers out and put in the pacifier. Sometimes, he even puts his fingers in his mouth and pops the pacifier out and across the room. If he ends up being a habitual finger or thumb sucker, it's not for the lack of me trying to avoid it! I gave it a valiant effort, to say the least. I just cringe when I hear him on the monitor at night sucking those fingers. My philosophy has always been that I prefer pacifiers over fingers/thumbs, because you can take away pacifiers at some point, but the state frowns on cutting off your child's thumbs. In my line of work, it's just so hard to imagine my child being a habitual fingersucker. Oh, I hope it's just a phase!

Childcare Search Success

Caleb and I went today to meet with the potential childcare provider that I mentioned in yesterday's post. I was excited to find that I was comfortable in their home and I felt like Caleb would be safe and happy there while I'm at work. So, my stress level has once again leveled off. The provider's name is Carrie and Caleb will be spending his days primarily with her and her 18-month-old son, Drew. She also has a 12-year-old daughter, Samantha, who doesn't start back to school for a couple of weeks. Her husband, Kevin, will be there in the mornings, but will leave for work shortly after Rudy drops Caleb off for the day. Because their house is so close to mine and because Rudy doesn't have to be at work until well after I do, he is going to do the drop-offs in the mornings and I'm going to do the pick-ups in the afternoons. That makes me one seriously happy Mama! I was dreading the drop-offs and this will make going to work so very much easier!

I decided that God was doing me a favor. The only way I can figure out his plan is to guess, but here's my guess. God knows that patience is not my strongsuit. God also knew all along that Caleb should be at Carrie's house when I went back to work. So...he provided a wonderful alternative for me to believe in and be comfortable with until Carrie was ready to open her home to us. (She just posted her advertisement a couple of days before I found her.) Kim's move is a surprise to us, but it was in His plan all along. God is good to me - in so many ways!

Another happy note about today - BAND CAMP IS OVER! For two weeks, Rudy has been working like a dog out in the 100 degree heat from 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM and then coming home dead-tired. Today was the last day of summer band camp and tonight was "parent night." The kids performed the parts of the show that they know - which is a lot - and they looked great! Rudy is pleased with the show and the way it's coming together. A happy band director is a happy husband and father.

Tomorrow night, Rudy and I are going to the Cardinals game. We have free tickets and the special privilege of going onto the field and visiting the dugout before the game. That's pretty cool! The Cardinals goofed up the parking situation when Rudy's band played at the game back in June, so we're getting the royal treatment to make up for it! Caleb is staying with Monica and she's taking him to a soccer game. I made her promise to face him away from the field. I don't want him getting any bright ideas about playing soccer. We like "Real" football in this house! Of course, because I say that - he'll end up being a soccer junkie. Oh, I hope not!!!!!

Childcare SNAFU...and Some Good News

Yesterday, I got a phone call at about 6:00 from Kim, the lady who is supposed to keep Caleb this school year. She told me that her husband has been transferred to Kansas City and she will be moving as soon as her house sells. OH MY GOSH! I was in total shock and didn't really know what to do. It was about 10:30 last night before I got my thoughts together and decided that I needed to get on the ball and find someone else before I go back to work in one week. I sent out an e-mail to everyone I know in this area who might possibly know someone who could keep Caleb. I also got on the same website where I found Kim and frantically sent e-mails to several people. I finally got in bed last night after 12:30 and watched the clock for a while with my head spinning. This morning, I had 2 phone calls and a couple of e-mails from people I had contacted. I narrowed it down to 5 potential people and then did some phone interviews. Of the 3 phone interviews that I did, I'm really only interested in 2 of the people. I'm going to meet one of them tomorrow morning, so we'll see. Hopefully, Caleb will have a fabulous place to go next Thursday when I go to work and this will all work out just fine.

On a happier note, I think Caleb's blocked tear duct may be getting better. This is the second day in a row that I haven't had to wipe his eye at all. His eyelashes are even dry tonight and his eye isn't running at all! I was really hoping for that to clear up on its own, because I didn't want to have to go through with the surgery to repair it. Here's hoping it stays dry!

Three Months Old

Caleb is now three months old. I can hardly believe we are a quarter of the way through his first year. He continues to grow and change and amaze us. He has started to really enjoy looking in the mirror and has even "talked" to his reflection a couple of times. Bathtime is SO much better lately. He even seems to enjoy it a little bit. I never thought I'd see that day! He is becoming more and more vocal and he is starting to look like a little boy instead of a newborn. He still hates tummy time with a passion, but we have seen some improvement in his ability to lift his head when he's on his tummy. His head is now about 95% stable when he's upright and he loves to be upright! The child doesn't want to miss anything at all - he wants to see it all! Caleb is responding more to us from a distance and now smiles when he sees us across a room. He is reaching for things and batting at them a lot. He even manages to grab them from time to time and when he does, he won't let go! This includes my hair!

Things that I love about my three-month-old baby boy:
- our "conversations" about the world
- the way he makes his grandparents (and mine) smile
- the fact that he tries to ooh and goo at me with his pacifier in his mouth when I'm trying to rock him to sleep (this will not be cute when he starts talking for real!)
- that toothless grin
- the fact that he is so easygoing and easy to take out and about
- the way his Daddy's eyes light up when they play together

Happy Three Month Birthday, Caleb!

A Trip to Arkansas

It's been a whirlwind week for us! Where do I even start?

Last Monday, I took Caleb to Weight Watchers with me and asked the lady to weigh me twice - once with him and once without him. With some "fancy math skills, " I found out that my baby boy now weighs 16 pounds! He's officially in size 2 diapers and it's time to switch over to those 3-6 month clothes. At this rate, he should have no problem meeting the 20 pound rule at one year to have his car seat turned forward. Actually, at this rate, he may be driving at one year!

On Tuesday, Becca came to our house. We went to the mall to get a shirt for her to wear to her shower, had dinner with Jimmy (who was in the area for work) and bought Caleb an outfit with an airplane on it for his first plane ride! We ran errands until bedtime and then hit the pillow hard!

Wednesday morning, we were up bright and early to get ready for our trip to Arkansas. I packed everything that Caleb and I would need for a five day vacation and then got him ready to go. When we got to the airport, we realized what a sight we were: Becca at 7 1/2 months pregnant and me toting Caleb around. We were certain that nobody wanted to sit with us! The flight went great. Caleb didn't fuss at all. I put his pacifier in his mouth for takeoff and landing so that his ears wouldn't bother him. He slept most of the trip! I am so fortunate!!!! When we got to the airport, Mr. L. and Becca's dad and sister were waiting for us. We rounded up our luggage and said bye to Becca, since she was going to her dad's for a few days. Mr.L. and I loaded all of our stuff in the car, changed Caleb's stinky diaper in the back of the Jeep and headed for Hot Springs. Caleb and I were both exhausted when we got there, so we laid down for a nap. The next thing I knew, Mom was in my room and couldn't wait to see us. We got up and visited a little bit, then got on the boat and went over to Pepapa and Anna Joyce's house. They were glad to see us and couldn't believe how much Caleb had grown in just a month. When we got back home, we had some dinner and headed for bed.

On Thursday, Mom had to work, so I took the opportunity to go over and see Memmie and Poppie in Sherwood. We had a great visit and Caleb showed them all of his new "tricks." He even "talked" to me like he does at home - constant cooing like he's really having a big conversation. Memmie thought that was the funniest thing ever! We were sad to leave their house, but had to get back to Hot Springs before the traffic got too bad. The weather was gross and I was driving Mom's car, so I wasn't too keen on getting stuck in rush hour traffic in Little Rock.

When we got back to Hot Springs, we freshened up and then went to dinner at Applebee's with Stacy Schmidt, my dear friend from Rogers. She was in town for the state Special Ed conference, so we just had to get together. She was so excited to meet Caleb. We had another treat when some of the ladies from the Rogers Special Services office stopped by to see us while we were there. Linda Stewart, my former supervisor and dear friend, brought Caleb some adorable gifts and he thanked her with several great big smiles and a Caleb-style conversation! We had a great time visiting with all of them and it was awesome to see everyone.

On Friday, Mom took a vacation day and we spent our time doing some shopping and errands for Becca's shower. I had to go to the bank and open an account for the Alumni Association, so Mom and Mr. L. kept Caleb. They didn't seem to mind.

On Saturday, Mr. L. kept Caleb for a couple of hours while Mom and I did a little more shopping. It was a low-key day and that was nice and relaxing. Unfortunately, it was way too hot for us to go for another boat ride. Saturday night, Joyce came by to visit. The Holmes crew showed up too for a few minutes. Caleb got to meet Julie and Chris for the first time and got a very cute blanket from Leigh Ann and Bill.

Sunday was the big day for Becca's shower. She had a great turnout and got some awesome gifts! Of course, she was excited to get some Razorback things for baby Maddox! Caleb was very well behaved during the shower - as always. He eventually fell asleep and I put him down for a nap in his bed.

On Monday, we had a relaxing day and then headed for the airport. Mom and Mr. L. helped me get everything to the Southwest counter and then Caleb and I were on our own to get on the plane and head for home. After we got through security, I put him in the Baby Bjorn and fed him. I decided it would be a good idea to change his diaper while we waited for our plane to board, so we went into the ladies' room. As soon as I walked in there, I realized that I needed to go to the bathroom. This was my biggest fear about flying alone with Caleb - what was I going to do with him while I went to the bathroom? I had nowhere to lay him down and nothing to sit him in. So, I did the best I could! I left him in the carrier and he basically sat in my lap while I did the public bathroom hover maneuver. It was quite a feat, but we made it! We got on the plane with no problem (I love pre-boarding!) and the flight home was as easy as the flight there. Once we got on the ground in St. Louis, we got our suitcase and Caleb's carseat and took the shuttle to our car. It was about 102 degrees outside, so I was really sweating by the time I got the car loaded and the carseat installed. The whole thing was a big challenge, but I did it all by myself and I was pretty proud of the way it worked out!

When we got home, Rudy was SO excited to see us! He told me that he couldn't believe how much he missed us and that he might not ever let us leave for that long again! Band camp has been going well and he's pleased with the year so far. That helped, I'm sure! Rudy watched Caleb while I unpacked our things and then we crashed into the bed!

Caleb has been getting back into his routine the past couple of days. It has taken some time, but he'll eventually get straightened back out. Yesterday, I had a doctor's appointment and then we went to Wal Mart and Schnuck's. He's so used to be hauled around everywhere - he was a trooper and slept through a lot of it! He went to bed last night at about 9:00 and woke up to eat at 4:00 AM. I put him right back to bed and it's now almost 10:30 AM and he's just now starting to stir. I think he was just completely worn out from the trip and has been catching up on some much-needed sleep.

I will post Caleb's 3-month birthday post later today or tonight and I'll add the 3-month pictures to the Shutterfly site too. I've already uploaded the pictures from our trip to Arkansas, so make sure you check those out.

Only 8 more days until I have to go back to work!

This Little Piggy Blew a Bubble...

This week's developments: Caleb has found his toes and he's started to blow spit bubbles. Sometimes he just sits and stares at his feet like they are the most amazing things he has ever seen. I find it pretty funny!

Out of nowhere, Caleb has started to blow spit bubbles and the drool factory has kicked into gear. I had just noticed it yesterday and then I read something about the expected milestones for this week and it mentioned an increase in drool. I guess that means he's right on track.

This week should be an exciting one for us. On Wednesday, Caleb and I are flying with my cousin, Becca, to Arkansas! I'm not nervous about flying with him, I'm just nervous about packing and hauling all of our junk through the airport. Mom has already informed me that she has diapers and formula on hand and has borrowed a pack and play so that Caleb has a place to sleep. That will make the travel a little easier. Rudy is sad that we will be gone for a few days, but he's in the full throes of band camp, so he is a little distracted (and stressed) anyway. Maybe with us out of the way, he'll be able to concentrate on work for a few days without feeling like he's being torn between work and home.

We're still struggling with tummy time! Caleb hates being put on his tummy to play and he just yells at us like we're killing him. We've tried putting all sorts of interesting things in front of him, but he still hates it.

Since Rudy started back to work last Thursday, Caleb and I have had a lot more time to ourselves. I find it to be very stressful and very fulfilling all at the same time. I don't get much done except for when he's napping, but the time that we spend together is priceless. Now that he's napping for about 2-3 hours every day at noon, I have time to get some things done around the house, but I'm usually so sleepy myself that I have to make myself keep moving. Once Rudy gets home in the evenings, he's ready to have some Daddy time, so I'm able to get things done then. I have a whole new understanding of stay-at-home moms - not that I ever thought that would be easy!

Caleb's First Cardinals Game

For the second time in his life, Caleb slept all night on Thursday, June 28th! I bathed him, fed him and put him in bed at 9:30. He didn't make a sound until 5:15 Friday morning! I kept waking up during the night and listening to the monitor and I could hear him breathing soundly, so I went back to sleep.

On Friday, Rudy's band played the National Anthem at the Cardinals game, so we all went. Of course, Rudy was busy with the band, but Caleb and I got there plenty early so that I could see the new stadium. Wow! It's really nice! Since we were there so early, we stopped at the Build-A-Bear Workshop and bought a Fredbird for Caleb. We made it to our seats and Jerry and Sherry came shortly after that. The band sounded great on the Anthem and then we settled in to "watch the game." There's really no watching the game when you have a 2 month old baby! Even with Jerry and Sherry more-than-willing to hold him and do whatever we needed, it was a challenge. It was pretty warm out there and it got really loud sometimes, which scared Caleb. I took him down into the concourse and walked around with him for a while, which calmed him and we went back to our seats. Sherry and I worked hard to keep Caleb's ears covered when it got loud and he made it through until the end of the ninth inning. When the game went into extra innings, we had to leave. I was worn out and so was Caleb! Overall it was a good night, but it was exhausting.

It's HOT!

It's officially HOT - 100 degrees to be exact! It has been so hot this week and we have done everything possible to stay inside and stay cool! It's pretty warm in our house, especially upstairs, so we have the fans running on high speed and Caleb has been spending a lot of time in nothing but a diaper. On the positive side, he didn't get cold when he had his bath.
I heard a beautiful sound a couple of days ago and I can't wait to hear it again. Caleb laughed! He really laughed out loud. Oddly enough, though, he was asleep when he did it. The child makes more noise when he's asleep than he does when he's awake. Sometimes he starts crying as if he's in the most horrible pain imaginable and two seconds later, he's smiling!

We had our first visit from our parent educator today. Missouri has a wonderful Parents as Teachers program and it’s even free. We enrolled through the school district where we live and we are excited about it! Our PE's name is Amy and she is very nice! She came this morning to meet us and shared some great information with us.

The past couple of weeks have been big for Caleb - and for us. On the 8th, he spent the night with Jerry, Sherry and Rebecca while Rudy and I went on our date. According to them, he did great and was a complete joy! Last Friday night, we went to see Tim McGraw and Faith Hill in concert and Caleb stayed with Monica. She took him to Daniel's baseball game. She said that he was the easiest baby ever!

On Sunday, Rudy went to Branson for an overnight golf trip with Chad. Caleb and I were all alone from early Sunday morning until Monday afternoon. Sunday was a lazy day for us, but we had fun on Monday running some errands and meeting Monica for lunch. When Rudy got home on Monday afternoon, he was so excited to see Caleb! He swore that the child had actually grown while he was gone!

I've been getting caught up on my scrapbooks in the past couple of weeks. I went to a crop at church and got a ton of pages finished. Today, Rudy agreed to let me have a Mom's Day Out and I went to the Archiver's store in the mall. I scrapbooked for hours and I was so excited about the pages that I finished! I'm even going to a crop at my neighbor's house on Friday night. I'm really trying to not get too far behind since there are SO MANY pictures of Caleb to be used!

We had a few scary moments tonight. I hadn't been home from scrapbooking for long when it suddenly got very dark and windy outside. The weather turned nasty very fast and we headed for the basement. We had a terrible storm, but we were very lucky. Our area is one of the only areas in St. Louis that didn't lose power tonight. There are over 300,000 people without power right now in the metro area! We didn't go out after the storm to check for damage or anything, because it was dark. I guess tomorrow will tell. I don't think we had any damage, but a lightning bolt hit very close to our house. Rudy estimated that from the sound of it, it couldn't have been more than a couple of hundred yards away! It was LOUD! Dewey was a total wreck - like he always is in storms, but Caleb slept through it all in my arms. I learned what it feels like to become protective of a child. I wasn't worried about myself or my house or anything else - just making sure that Caleb was safe. Amazing what motherhood does, isn't it?

Band camp starts tomorrow for Rudy, so Caleb and I are on our own during the day for the next couple of weeks. Unfortunately, that means that the school year is quickly approaching and I'll be headed back to work on August 10th. I'm having a hard time imagining the whole thing - leaving Caleb and getting back to work - and it makes me more than just a little sad. On the other hand, I'm ready for a little more routine in my life and I know that I can't provide the type of life that I want Caleb to have unless I go to work. So, I'll take the bad with the good, and as I always say, "Put on my big girl panties and deal with it!" I'm just going to enjoy the last days of pure freedom with my favorite little baby boy!

Discoveries!

In the past couple of days, Caleb has made two major discoveries: his hands and Dewey! We noticed just yesterday that Caleb was staring at Dewey for the first time.
As for his hands, he's been trying to put them in his mouth for a couple of weeks now, but just in the past week, he's been staring at them. It's so hard for me to imagine being so helpless that you don't know that you have hands.

The cooing and gooing is almost nonstop these days too. Caleb "talks" to us all the time. Of course, we talk back to him - either cooing and gooing right back or pretending that we really know what he's saying. He just smiles and lights up when we talk to him. What a great feeling!

We're still working on the nap schedule. The past two days have been pretty consistent. Caleb slept for about an hour in the morning, then 3 hours mid-day and then about an hour in the late afternoon. He's getting very consistent about getting sleepy around 9:00 or 9:30 at night and going right down to bed then. I usually get up with him once during the night for a quick feeding and then he sleeps again until at least 5:00 or 6:00, when Rudy gets up with him.

We're working on giving Caleb more time on a blanket on the floor so that he can learn to roll over. He HATES being on his tummy, but he's getting a little bit better about it. He likes to lay on his back and look around the room or play with the toys on his baby gym.

I am amazed every day by the changes that I see!

Mother of the Year

I blew it! My chances for Mother of the Year went out the window in the past two days. Okay...so maybe I wasn't in the running, but here's the deal -

Last night, I put Caleb in front of the TV so that we could have 20 minutes to eat dinner. I know, I know - shame on me! Here's a secret, though...it won't be the last time. He was being so clingy and fussy yesterday and just was not content in his swing, where he usually sits while we eat. Rudy and I had made a nice dinner and we really wanted to eat at the same time, so I put the bouncy seat in front of the TV, turned on the Baby channel (it's developmentally appropriate!) and sat down to a peaceful meal. Caleb loved the Baby channel with its bright colors and sing-song voices. We didn't leave him there long, but just the fact that I did it was enough to make me feel guilty.

Tonight, I was trying to clip Caleb's fingernails and took a plug out of his finger! He screamed bloody murder and I felt like a horrible person for making him bleed. He bled and bled and when it finally stopped, I swaddled him and laid him down to sleep. Oh, it's a good thing he won't remember it.

Tomorrow night, Rudy and I are going on our first grown-ups-only date since Caleb was born. We have dinner reservations at Sam's Steakhouse and then we are going to spend the night at a nice hotel in the city. Jerry and Sherry are keeping Caleb for us. Hopefully, we won't spend the whole night worrying about how he's doing. I'm sure I'll wake up during the night to "listen to the monitor", but hopefully I'll sleep peacefully, knowing he's in good hands.

Caleb is pretty consistently sleeping through the night now. He is getting on more of a sleep schedule. He usually sleeps from about 9:30 or 10:00 at night until about 4:30 in the morning. I get up and feed him and then put him back to bed. He sleeps from that point until about 7:00 or 8:00. Rudy gets up with him then, feeds him and goes for a walk with Caleb and Dewey. Sometimes, he'll take a little nap when they get back and sometimes he's just ready to talk and play with his Daddy. Rudy usually wakes me up around 10:00, because the only really good sleep I get is from the time he gets up with Caleb until then. It's just something about knowing that someone else is responsible for him and I don't have to listen for him to wake up - I really sleep hard during those few hours. Once I get up, we usually play and talk and then I feed Caleb before I have my lunch. Caleb sits in his swing while Rudy and I have lunch and usually falls asleep sometime around then either in his swing or in one of our laps. He doesn't sleep very long during the day! After he wakes up, it's feedings every 3 hours and a couple of catnaps here and there all mixed with playtime with whichever parent can play and some time in the swing and the bouncy seat. This is when we run errands or go out to do things outside of the house. Caleb begins to get pretty tired around 8:30. If he needs a bath, we do that before his bedtime bottle. When bedtime rolls around, I have the absolute joy of spending snuggle time with Caleb. I swaddle him, rock him and sing to him until he's almost asleep, then lay him down in his crib and we start the whole cycle over again. These are the best days of our lives!

Two Months Old

By the time I finish writing this, it will be July 3rd - but as I start it, it's still July 2nd, so it's still Caleb's "birthday." I continue to be amazed at him. He is growing and growing and just when I think I can't love him any more - he does something or looks at me a certain way and my heart expands just a little bit more. Caleb is smiling so much now that I wonder if he knows something I don't. He hardly ever cries and has slept through the night 2 of the last 3 nights.

In the spirit of my one month post:
Things that I love about my two-month-old baby boy:
- his "goos" and "gahs" in response to our voices
- the way he lays in his crib and "talks" to the Razorbacks on his mobile
- the loving gaze that he gives me when I sing to him at bedtime
- those chubby cheeks!
- the way his whole face lights up when he smiles
- the feel of his breath on my cheek when he's sleeping on my shoulder

Happy Two Month Birthday, Caleb!