Firsts: fire ant bites, scraped knees, hair cut, trip to Austin

Sept 17-23, 2012

"This is what remotes are for, right Mom?" He loves to chew on the clickers but he also knows to point them at the TV. You're in trouble if he has the DVD remote while you're trying to watch a movie. He will bring you back to the main menu about every two minutes. I don't know why they made that button so big and blue and right in the middle of the remote.

Forgot to post this one last week... it was from Sunday so I'll put it at the beginning of this week. 14 or 15 weeks pregnant (at night, because in the morning I don't look nearly as prego as I do at night with this pregnancy)

On Monday Caleb got his first fire ant bites (three of them) in the morning while we were playing on our driveway. Then later he got his first scraped knees... I asked him not to play in the street so instead of walking, he ran down the driveway. He not only scraped his knees but also scraped the pussy scab things off of his fire ant bites. He was tough though, he just got back up and ran toward the road again. Then he fell even harder and cried to be picked up.

He loves to push his high chair around the kitchen

We're also back to the 4:30 am wake ups, in addition to one other night wake up.

Action shot: bringing book to Mom to read and about to trip into her lap

On Tuesday we were going to go with Allen to Austin. He had a recruiting thing in the evening (bowling and eating pizza with the actuarial club... tough work) that he was supposed to go. We were going to stop at the Blue Bell Factory on the way there. Then Monday there were some things that "blew up" at work so he couldn't go and instead had to leave for work at 3:45 am and didn't get home until the usual time. Poor guy. 

Finally figured out how to drink out of a straw but he decided he liked the straw more than the juice.

Caleb kind of fell down the stairs. I was above him on the stairs trying to get him to slide down on his belly and he decided to stand up. He fell down two of the stairs but somehow I managed to catch him before he hit the landing so he wasn't hurt at all, just scared. But, it scared him into going down backwards now! When he gets within two feet of the stairs, he drops and sprawls out on his stomach and starts scooting backward toward the stairs. It is so cute! He knows to get off of our bed and the couches that way, he just tries to be a big boy and walk up and down the stairs. 

Caleb also loves pushing the laundry basket around the house.

When Caleb wants me to play chase with him, he goes to where the cords are in the living room, makes sure I'm looking and then grabs them. As I tell him not to grab them, he laughs and starts to run away, wanting me to chase him. He now plays chase standing up instead of crawling.

After my runs I do pushups and a core work out. Whenever I'm in the plank position Caleb thinks that's a cue to come climb on my back to play horsie... and so we do.

Caleb likes to "carry" things. This is pretty heavy but he hefted it around the house for a long time but got stuck when trying to take it upstairs.

It's hard to guess what he will eat. It's like he chooses a favorite thing every day and will only eat that. 

He insisted on feeding himself the yogurt...

...successful spoon to mouth moment...

...his forehead was hungry. 

Wednesday while we were at the park Caleb slid his feet into the swing and stood up. I stopped the swing, made him sit back down and then he did it again. We were done swinging after that. I have figured out that he can't fit his feet up in the swing when his shoes are on so we only swing with shoes on now. He just likes to stand up everywhere and keeps trying to walk in the bath. We warn him not to stand up otherwise he will have to get out... we have had some really short baths because he uses up all three strikes and has to get out.

Still loves the bath

For Activity Days we made little teddy bears to donate to the pediatric part of the hospital. The girls think I'm an amazing seamstress and want me to teach a free sewing class where they can make their own teddy bears to make home. 

Thursday we were playing in the study and Caleb tried sliding off Dad's chair but went under the armrest and got stuck because of his huge noggin.  

This is Caleb prepping for a big splash. He gets up on his knees and raises his arms as high as he can and then smashes them down into the water. And repeats. And repeats and repeats.

He's getting better at playing on his own as long as I'm in the same room and not doing anything other than stare at him. For example, I started making some Christmas presents this week (I think it's the nesting instinct kicking in) and was measuring fabric in the same room Caleb was playing in. Caleb got jealous of the attention I was giving to the fabric, so he grabbed his toy and came and sat on the fabric and continued playing. 

I have no idea what happened on Friday.

And now, for our picture journal of the weekend:

Saturday morning I gave Dad a haircut, then he held Caleb so I could give him his first haircut!

Then Caleb decided he needed to sit on my lap while I finished.

 After haircuts, we cleaned up, packed up and headed to Austin for the weekend. Caleb didn't particularly like the car ride...

We stopped at Dairy Queen on the way to Austin.

Caleb loved the french fries and ice cream and walking around and yell-talking.  Notice the hair cut.

Cooling off in the river/lake after walking around trails

Under the bridge: a grandpa and his grandson were fishing with fake hooks beside us. 

Falling down in Zilker Park, where we played and read Hunger Games (book 2) and people watched. 

Walks with hands out for balance still

Mmm... Torchy's Tacos for dinner. 

Caleb was so exhausted that we gave up on the rest of our plans for the day and headed back to the hotel early. Saturday night we were in a Holiday Inn in Pflugerville. It was nice! It was just off the freeway, free internet, a yummy free breakfast and it had a separate front room with a hide-away bed/couch, desk, tv, etc which was where Caleb sort of slept. The only thing that was not so nice was that we got stuck with the room closest to the lobby so it was loud in our little front room.

Caleb slept on the king bed for a couple of hours while we read Hunger Games in the other room.

Then we moved him to his crib so we could go to sleep and he slept in it for about three minutes. He ended up back in bed with us and then on the floor in the other room on the couch cushions.

Sunday I forgot to take pictures but we spent all day with Allen's cousin Zerelda Beckstead and her family. They live in Pflugerville, which was why we stayed in the Holiday Inn out there. We went to church with them and then to their house for lunch/dinner, dessert and games (and Caleb and I napped on their guest bed). I still can't believe I didn't take any pictures while we were there.

Sunday night we were in a fancy hotel downtown since Mercer was paying for that night . . . it was two-three times as expensive but we weren't that impressed. No free internet, no free breakfast, no room in the fridge for our stuff, no microwave, not even a nice bathroom. The bed was nice and I think there were a couple more pillows but the best part were the robes. Again, Caleb wouldn't sleep in the crib but he at least slept on pillows on the floor instead of in bed with us.

Monday morning we went to IHOP, you can tell Caleb is smiling because of his eyes

 Allen gave Caleb cold water out of the straw. Here's a funny video of it!

but when we yanked his binky out, this is what it looked like.

 After we dropped Dad off to go recruit, Caleb and I ate at a buffet at Pizza Hut and then headed to walk around the capitol building.

Caleb was hot and bored

Later he had his shoes off so he wasn't as hot, but still bored.

We played on the capitol grounds for a while

Looking at the tree

Throwing Mom's flip flops

After walking around the capitol grounds and going to the visitors' center, we wandered around downtown. We didn't find anything too exciting before we visited Dad. We saw him for a few minutes and then dropped him off at the next part of his recruiting trip before Caleb and I went to find dinner. We got Taco Bell and headed to the bridge to watch the bats.

Every night thousands of bats come out from under the bridge and eat millions of bugs.

Caleb made a friend with a boy the same age as him (11 months): Mark from Germany. He was prepared, he wore a batman shirt to see the bats. Caleb loved playing with him! He even walked on the grass to go touch his face and grab his arm. Mark liked Caleb better from a distance.

The bats emerge.

And then it was time to go get Dad and head home. Caleb slept and I read Hunger Games to Allen the whole way back. We made pretty good time since Allen had work early the next morning. 

Side note: during the weekend Caleb started clapping (finally), he waved a couple of times and started Indian yelling on his own (where you yell and hit your mouth).

We've got a walker on our hands!

September 10-16, 2012

Typical day with Caleb: playing outside on our sidewalk/driveway, dirt around the mouth from eating rocks and acorns. The flash makes this look like it was nighttime even though it was not.

Monday I felt sick (sore throat, stuffy nose, headache) so Allen was a stud and stayed home to take care of Caleb. I slept for most of the morning and felt a lot better by the afternoon so Al was able to work from home the rest of the day and only had to take a half sick day.

Tuesday must have been a recovery day from me being sick where Caleb and I didn't do much other than hang around the house and go on a walk and probably swing at the park... but I don't remember.

Caleb and I playing at the house... if I lay down, he attacks my hair and it is a fight to get it back out of his hands!

Wednesday I felt better and started running again. Hurray for more energy in the second trimester! (It also helps that Caleb is finally completely weaned... I miss nursing him sometimes but I think it's much better on my body. My doctor strongly recommended weaning Caleb as soon as possible because it is so hard on your body to be pregnant and breastfeeding at the same time.)

We went to the park after running and there were several other kids from the ward there. We ended up playing for over an hour. Caleb was covered from head to toe with dirt but he was so exhausted, I didn't bathe him before letting him take a nap. I brushed off as much dirt as I could before we went inside and decided I'd just change the sheets before bedtime.

Caleb discovered that the broom is a fun new toy, unless you smash your fingers under it when trying to stand up while holding onto it.

After my run on Thursday I was planning to go to Mommy and Me Music at my friend's house so I hurried to shower and get everything ready to go. Literally as Caleb and I were walking out the door I got a text from Allen (and this story is shared with his consent), "I donated blood, passed out and peed myself. I need you to come downtown. I'll call in a few minutes." (He had carpooled to work and had no car at work.)

I knew he was going to be donating blood that day but wasn't sure if the text was a joke or what. Unsure if I should grab more clothes for him and head downtown or if I should just go to the music class, I tried calling. He didn't answer his cell phone or desk phone. I waited ten or more minutes before he called. It was true. Allen had peed his pants while he was passed out! Hahaha! I drove downtown with clothes for him to change into but he ended up coming home with me. After showering and a nap he felt well enough to work from home the rest of the day.

Smoothie mustaches with Dad, trying to help him recover from passing out... also, I don't think I've mentioned this, but Caleb is completely weaned and you can tell in this picture that the formula is helping him chunk up some more. Check out that double chin and neck rolls.

Friday morning it was sprinkling so there weren't many people out on the trail when Caleb and I went running. In fact, there were only three other people we saw out there (which is unusual because there are usually lots of people at that time of the morning) and all three of them were other moms from church. On Friday Caleb also got to play with his friend Luke for the first time in about a month! He was very excited to see him.

Saturday morning Allen had to work so Caleb and I went garage sale-ing to not be a distraction at home. It was supposed to be an organized neighborhood garage sale but there were very few people at the main selling place and the houses that were participating were all so far apart that I had to keep putting Caleb back in his car seat and get him back out again. We gave up after three houses and bought nothing. We celebrated our lack of success by having free breakfast at Chik-fil-a with Allen.

He loves being outside!

After breakfast we all took naps and Allen worked some more while Caleb and I played. We went to Sam's Club as a family and had a healthy dinner of hot dogs and pizza there before Stake Conference that night. We tried to start off sitting in the chapel but during the opening song, I gave up because Caleb refused to sit still or to stop talking very loudly. We went to the primary room with the other kids and toys. They had a TV set up so we could watch and listen without disrupting everyone else. 

He gets to carry the keys when we walk to the mailbox.

Caleb loved being with all of the kids and despite being tired, he was happy and smiling the whole time we were there. I think he was the only kid who never cried... He wasn't upset when toys taken away from him or anything! He loved the little toy vacuum. At first he used it while crawling around then some other kids started playing with it and he found a shopping cart that was just his size. He pushed in circles for at least twenty minutes and afterwards decided he could walk without help like the other kids in there. He did great! He even started walking while pushing the vacuum that he couldn't lean on, like he leaned on the shopping cart. 

He is probably laughing because I just made him spit out an acorn.

At the Sunday session of Stake Conference Caleb lasted for the choir number and two youth speakers before we gave up and went to the Relief Society room, where Caleb continued to walk. He followed the other kids around, tottering around and crawling when he wanted to go faster. He loved it! He will be a great older brother with how much he likes other kids. 

I didn't know I was in the picture and it's not a great one of me but since it's the only one of me from the past couple of weeks, I figured I should put it in there. That way if Caleb ever looks at this he will  know that I played with him too. 

And this is why strangers refer to him as "Blue Eyes"

Afterward we headed home for naps and dinner prep. After we ate we went to our friend's surprise party, where Caleb watched even more kids play. He was exhausted from all of his playing with other kids and when we got home it was hard to keep him up until bedtime. He took a bath with dad and after getting out he tried using dad's electric toothbrush (hilarious!). He still wasn't diapered and there was no diaper nearby when he started grunting! I grabbed him and ran him to the toilet. I held him over it but he just wanted to look inside and ended up just splashing in it with his feet. It was an early night for him, in bed by 6:30. Then Al got to work some more (poor guy). 

Early Mornings and Sharing

September 4-9, 2012

We got home from Utah late Monday night and on Tuesday Caleb decided that the suitcase was just his size. He climbed in and out, throwing clothes out and then putting them back in again.

The first two days after we got home from Utah Caleb slept in until almost 7 am (with a couple night waking still)! I thought maybe we could keep the trend going, but once he caught up on the sleep he did not get while we were there (he doesn't like to sleep when we're on vacation...) he started waking up early. He would wake at 3 am, eat and then fall back asleep until 4:30 am, when he decided it was time to play. Although he was still tired and usually was ready for a nap by 7-ish, he fought going back to sleep so hard because he just wants to play.

Caleb is a pretty good sharer! He shares how most kids his age do: it's your turn for a few seconds and then you better give it back to me. Whenever I'm eating an apple, he always wants some so after I have a bite or two, I hand it to him to gnaw on/bite. Then when I ask to have a turn, he gives it back for me to have another bite or two.

Allen asks him to share his binky, so he takes it out and puts it in Allen's mouth. One morning this week when he woke up at 3 am, he was still half asleep but he took the binky out of his mouth and stuck it in mine! It was so cute.

We had the sprinklers on and Caleb started sticking his hand in one of them and loved it! He was a little wet and then he saw the puddle.

He would have happily played in that puddle for hours. He wasn't happy when we brought him in. At least he got to go into the bath, which made him happy again.

Caleb wants to take a bath at least five times a day. When he wakes up we usually play in his room for a while. He has figured out how to open the door if it isn't shut all the way so almost every day he opens the door and hurries into the bathroom and waits for me to come get him in the bath.

If we're downstairs he will race up the stairs as fast as he can and go stand at the bathtub and try climbing in. If there are any toys or bottles of shampoo on the outside, he throws them in too. Sometimes I'll let him have two baths a day but it's frustrating when he gets in and then wants out five minutes later because then I have to get him diapered and dressed again, which he does not make easy!

Caleb still loves banging on the toilet and unrolling toilet paper and can even reach the roll of toilet paper if it's on top of the toilet. He is tall enough to reach it. He hasn't flushed the toilet recently though.

Caleb has started having temper tantrums when he does not get his way. Sometimes I can distract him to help him get over it. Other times I set him on the ground to let him flail around until he is done being mad and comes crying and wants to be held.

Allen's work has a deal... promotion... I don't know what you'd call it... If you take a health assessment they give you feedback on how to be healthier and you get a $150 gift card! It's a one of the prepaid Visa cards so you can use it anywhere. Allen and I both did the assessment and with our gift cards bought Allen a nice grill on Saturday. It has a gas side and a charcoal side and a little burner. 

Assembling the grill Saturday night

We went to the Home Depot closest to us to buy it but they only had it assembled and we knew it would not fit in the Civic fully-assembled. We drove a few miles down the freeway to the next closest Home Depot and after they went to the trouble of getting one of the lifts to get the grill off of a very high shelf, they were helping us take it out to our car... and the guy about died when he saw we were going to try to fit it in the civic. He measured; it would not fit in the trunk. Luckily the back doors swing open very wide... out came Caleb's car seat and in went the grill. He left before we loaded into the car, after saying, "I'm not even going to ask how you're taking the little kid home with you." :) Caleb enjoyed the car ride home.

Caleb helping finish assemble it on Sunday morning so we could have steaks after church. 

Utah Wedding Reception

August 27-September 3, 2012
It turns out took more pictures last week than I thought... I just didn't look in the right place, but I only took three pictures the whole week I was in Utah (the week this blog is about).

Caleb loves to Skype

He also loves to grab the camera and see how cute he is the pictures I just took.

Cats come to our house because we have a plethora of lizards that they like to hunt. I don't like them hunting the lizards because they eat all of the bugs by our house! Caleb watched this cat for several minutes, which for him is a long time.

Then he got distracted by the door stop... that is at least three minutes worth of fun right there. Unless there are two in the same room, then he goes from one to the other, as though he's comparing the sounds they make. Then it is closer to five minutes of entertainment. 

This is the only place Caleb will sit to be happy while I get ready. He is  usually only content there for up to five minutes (and that's if he is chewing on my toothbrush, much shorter otherwise), so if I want to do more than pull my hair back and put clothes on, I'm in trouble.

Sharing fruit snacks with Dad...

...while watching soccer on Saturday morning.

Okay, now we're to the Utah pictures:

Walking around with Uncle Ben

Sharing Uncle Ben's apple

We discovered Caleb's favorite food: spaghetti. He really likes it because he get a bath every time after he eats it.

Those pictures don't really sum up our vacation very well and I don't have any notes written, but here's what I remember, other than just hanging out with the fam and getting things ready for the reception at my parents' house:

Monday morning Caleb and I flew to Utah, it was a direct flight (yahoo!) and we got bumped up to First Class. Had they thought about the fact I was flying with a baby, they would have re-thought that move. He did really well but it took a while to get him to fall asleep. It was nice having a bigger seat and being served a meal.

Monday evening Jenni and Lizzi met my parents and I at Ben's soccer game. His team didn't play very well for the first half, but after several unfair cards handed out by the ref, they stepped it up and played much better for the rest of the second half and ended up winning 3-1 (? I think) even though they were three men down. Ben scored a SICK goal, a left foot volley that got our whole family screaming (and Caleb crying). Caleb gets scared when people yell or cheer, especially when he's tired, like he was that night.

Tuesday night my dad spoke at the MTC. Caleb and I went to hang out with Grandma and Grandpa Adams for an hour or two before the talk and then they babysat him so I could go listen. Oh and sometime on Tuesday Caleb and I went swimming by ourselves (everyone else was too busy) and he laughed and laughed and laughed. I wish I could have gotten it on video.

Either Wednesday or Thursday I drove down to Provo to hang out with Jenni and Lizzi after they were done with classes (Jeremy, Derek, Amy and Ben are all living at my parents' house so I got to see them before/after work and school). During the day it was mostly just running errands with Grammy. Late Thursday night Allen flew in.

I don't really remember what happened on Friday... but I know we visited the Adams that evening and Caleb loved walking in the rain and even walked on the grass to get to the flowers.

Saturday morning Allen and I went to the temple and to lunch with his parents. We came back to help set up for the reception. It was set up half outside and half inside. Everything looked beautiful!!! Then the rain came as the reception began so we hurried to move the rest of the stuff inside. There were tons of people and everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves! It was fun to see family and friends, and show Caleb off before he got so tired that he fell asleep in Allen's arms in the middle of all of the hullabaloo.

I don't remember much about Sunday except going to church... and taking a nap.

Monday was Labor Day so everyone had the day off. Allen and I drove to Orem to hang out with his family and go eat at Mama Chu's. We went back Then we drove back up to my parents' house to pack. We joined the fam in the pool for an hour or so, then I got to evaluate Amy's dad's injuries before Grammy took us to the airport for our evening flight. It was the first time I've ever flown through Denver and it was pretty looking out the window.

Oh yeah! Funny story about the flight. Allen had been upgraded to first class on the flight from Denver to Houston but I hadn't, so he was kind and came to sit back by us. We had to ask someone to trade seats. As we approached our row, I started to ask the man sitting there if he would mind trading seats. At first he seemed hesitant, even a little grumpy, until I said it was in first class... then he jumped out of his seat and took off, leaving his iPad in the seat pocket and his somewhat disgruntled wife across the aisle.

She jokingly yelled, "aren't you going to let your wife sit up there?" He came back to get his iPad and did ask his wife if she wanted to go up there. She just asked to hold Caleb as we got situated and then told her husband that she had the better seat because she got to be by the baby. Caleb was happy but tired and hyper. He crawled back and forth between Allen and I until he finally fell asleep for the last hour of the flight. We made it home sometime after 1 am, I think. And then Allen got to get up at 5:30 am the next day for work.