The Sickies and Such

My poor sweet Caleb is sick with a cold this week. His nose is running like a waterfall and he can't seem to stop sneezing. When I woke him up yesterday he was acting like he was hungover or drunk. I hadn't given him any medicine so I figured the sickies in his head were making him feel woozy. Thankfully, he has been more willing than usual to get to bed on time and take good long naps. I am sure he will back to his normal, crazy self in no time.

I was a little unsure about starting Caleb's little preschool yesterday due to the cold but we did have a soft start. I introduced him to his "A" notebook and he found it fascinating. He just wanted to look at it and discuss the pictures. He then informed me that he wanted to color his "A's." He got cozy in his chair with his crayons and notebook and went to town. I think he colored a little bit on each page. As he did that I read to him from the Johnny Appleseed book and we both had a great time. I would count the first day as a success.

When Chris got home, I asked Caleb if he wanted to show Daddy his "school notebook." Caleb grabbed the notebook from me and ran to his Daddy. He opened it up and showed Chris all the A's. He even took Chris' hand and had him trace each A on one particular page. Oh, be still my heart! Chris is very happy with how things are going so far and he likes how I am doing the notebook and reading time.

I know we have only done this for one day but here is how I think the days are going go for at least a little while. Caleb and I will get the notebook out and he will color the pages while I read to him during that time. It looks like I might have to print out more coloring pages and check out more books to get through a week. I am not pushing for anything formal right. He is only 2! I want him to have fun and hopefully look forward to our "school time" each day. It is so much fun watching Caleb grow and become so interested in the world around him.

Going Pacifier Free

Chris and I have decided it is time for Caleb to give up his beloved pacifier. Caleb is 22 months old now and we would really like him to pacifier-free by age two. We know that there is no reason to "push" him but we also know how easy it is to keep allowing it to go on too long.

Here is a little history....

First, I said "NO PACIFIERS" before he was born. He would breastfeed (which he did for four months) and would not be offered a pacifier. You don't have to take away something he doesn't know about, right? At four months he was weaned to the bottle, but he didn't want the bottle at first. He was a "Mama's boy" if you will. I had this grand idea that if he took a pacifier he would take the bottle. Mistake #1.

Second, we said we wouldn't upgrade his pacifiers from 0-3 months to 6-18 months size. I ended up buying him two of the bigger size swearing I would never buy replacements if they broke or were lost. Amazingly, I did keep that promise. Caleb got used to the new size and loved them. He would sleep so soundly with them. Mommy and Daddy got drunk on the ease of it.

Third, we swore we would take the paci away by one year old. That was right around the time of our trip to Poland. We could not take the paci away right before such an adventure when we would really need that vice. Time continues to march on and the paci is still there.

Fourth, Caleb is 18 months and we know it is time. We plan a trip to Rockford, Illinois that would require an 18 hour car drive. The paci would be very important for that, right?

The New Year gets here and we decide to try the "poke a hole in the tip" method of weaning him off the paci. We kept making the hold bigger and Caleb just compensated. It didn't faze him one bit.

Caleb is approaching two now and we know that this has gone on way too long. We know from experience how easy it is to just let it go. So, we set a date to make the hole in the tip count and that date was Sunday night. I took the scissors to the tip and cut a hole about the size of dime.

We put Caleb to bed and gave him his monkey, blanket, and paci. He sucked and sucked and there was a clear air sound. Yep, there was zero satisfaction there. We thought, "Here we go!" It was a long night. Caleb fussed and cried. We got him up twice to cuddle. He finally fell asleep after Chris allowed him to take his Letter "A" from his Fridge Phonics set. We checked on him later and he was fast asleep with the paci at the other end of the crib and the letter "A" in his grasp.


Whoo! We made it through the first night of Going Pacifier Free.

What Will I Say Next?

I am learning that as Mom you will find yourself saying the darndest things to you child(ren).

This morning Caleb and Eowyn were fighting over Eowyn's most treasured squeakie toy, Mousers. Caleb would steal it and run away and then Eowyn would return the favor. Whenever Eowyn stole Mousers back, Caleb would come running to me, fussing, like he was saying, "MOM!! She won't let me play with Mousers!" There was a lot of fussing, barking, growling, etc.

When I finally had had enough I yelled across the house, "If you don't stop fighting over that toy I am going to have to take it away from BOTH of you!!!!"

Note: This is to my 19 month old son and DOG!

What will it be like with more children?

Who Do I Believe?

Ever since Caleb and I heard from the doctor that he is underweight I have been talking to friends and family and there seems to be a consensus that Caleb is just fine and I have no reason to worry about his weight. He "comes by it naturally" everyone says because Caleb's Daddy is a smaller guy. Don't worry about his weight and don't try to make him gain too much weight too quickly. The doctor is crazy, they say. One friend even said we should go shopping for a new doctor! Gee Whiz!

Who do I listen to?? Do I listen to the person who has an education in pediatrics or do I listen to my friends and family? There is a huge agreement on the side of the friends. {SIGH!}

I have come to the conclusion that I will encourage Caleb to eat more but I will only offer him healthy foods with good-for-you ingredients. At least I'll know I'm not clogging up his arteries.

I plan on taking Caleb for his weight check in a couple of months but perhaps I'll request another doctor in the practice to get a second opinion. We'll see what happens!

Here's to yummy, healthy snacks!

My Little Guy is Lucky!

Today was Caleb's 18 month appointment and it went pretty well except for the finger prick and the two shots he got. We also found out that my little string bean is underweight. He is almost 19 months old and he only weighs 22 pounds!! That would've been a good weight 6 months ago.

We feed him all day long. He eats whatever we eat and apparently that is keeping his weight down. He loves green beans, corn, noodles, bread, etc. Remember that I am trying to lose weight and that is reflected in my choices in lunch and dinner and since Caleb eats our table food, he is getting "lose weight" food. When given the choice between a chicken nugget and a green bean he will pick the green bean every time. Chris and I thought that was a great habit to be starting this early. We were wrong apparently. Beans have no fat and hardly any calories and an active 18 month boy needs calories, fat, and protein.

We also thought it was great he was drinking his whole milk throughout the day. Nope! Apparently, the whole milk is filling him up and he doesn't want to eat a decent amount of food which is where most of his calories need to come from. Milk in the morning and evening and water/juice during the day from now on. I guess that will help us stretch our milk budget farther.

I wish I was in Caleb's shoes. Instead of cutting out the sweets and the hamburgers, to hear the doctor say "Bring it on!" would be a dream of mine. He is so lucky! ;-)

The doctor told us to come back in two months for a weight check and she wants him to have gained 5 pounds by then. That is a lot for such an active little boy. I guess this is a great excuse to pick up my baking. I don't mind one bit, Buddy!

A Time of Celebration

This past Thursday Chris, Caleb, and I headed to Wake Forest, NC to share in the festivities surrounding my brother's, Henry, Ph.D graduation from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. We are so proud of him!

We arrived at the hotel Thursday night around 10:30 pm or so and promptly checked in. I was pleased to find out that my Dad and Stepmom were just across the hallway. I knocked on their door and they came over to play with Caleb while Chris and I got settled. It is amazing how quickly a zonked out little boy can wake up to play. As soon as we were ready we got into bed because we had a 7 am breakfast in the hotel lobby. The night was rather fitful because we were in a strange place, hot, and Caleb was coughing more than usual.

We got up around 6:30 am on Friday and put on whatever we could find and headed downstairs for breakfast. It was good to see everyone before the ceremony. We then went back upstairs and got dressed for the ceremony and headed to the chapel. The weather was nice and Chris and I enjoyed hanging out until everyone else got there.

SEBTS chapel

We found some good seats and settled in until the ceremony began. Chris was so sweet in that he offered to referee Caleb during the entire ceremony so that I could sit with my family and watch Henry get his degree. We finally decided that it would work the best if he took Caleb upstairs in the balcony for the entire event. It was sweet hearing occassional noices coming from up there. In fact, at the end of a hymn we all heard little hands claaping and a loud, "YEAH!!" Everyone there laughed. I thought, "Yep! That's my boy!"

Caleb waiting for everything to get started.
Also, showing evidence of sickness.

The ceremony was very good even though I 've always had a hard time sitting through graduation ceremonies...even mine. Have I ever mentioned that I got my M.A. in Biblical Counseling from the same school? Henry was the second to the last person to walk across the stage. The only real bummer was that my camera wasn't working when Henry got his hood and diploma. Apparently, I had hit some button and that prevented the picture. It has since been fixed.

The President giving the graduation address.

One thing that was sad about the ceremony was that Henry's Mentoring Professor was sick in the hospital that morning. He has been battling cancer for a few years and that landed him in the hospital. So, the President (above) walked Henry across the stage and gave him his hood and such. He then pulled Henry back to the pulpit and told everyone the circumstances and why Henry's professor wasn't there. He also told us how he was at the hospital that morning and that the professor woke up and said, "Did Henry get through?" Wow! How special is that?! Yes, Henry got through and is now a Doctor of Philosophy in Theology.

Here is Henry in his regalia

After the ceremony we spent a good amount of time taking family pictures and talking to old friends and professors we haven't seen in about 4 years. Chris and I ran into one of my Counseling professors who also did our premarital counseling. That was nice.

Caleb getting tired of the festivities and ready for a nap

Everyone then went back to the hotel to change into casual clothes (Thank Goodness!). Caleb fell asleep in the car on the way to the hotel and then we put him on the bed while Chris and I got dressed. Everyone gathered and we ate at a wonderful burger joint. Man! I wish we had one of those in our area. We went onto the mall to kill some time until the big event which was dinner at a Japanese Steak House. Caleb did a great job eating soup and rice.

As the day progressed, Chris and I were noticing that Caleb's cough was getting progressively worse. It all came to a head that night. He woke up screaming and with the worst croup I've ever heard him have. My Stepmom and I took turns sitting in the steamy bathroom with him and that helped a lot. My heart broke a little bit because Caleb didn't want to be cuddled by me. He wanted his Grammy. Whatever helped him sleep was okay with me. Chris made a late night trip to Target and bought a humidifier. I guess one good thing from all this is we have a nicer humidifier now. ;-)

The night was rough with Caleb waking occassionally either wanting to be held or just coughing. Not much sleep was to be had by anyone. Come morning I checked his temperature and it was over 102. I called the nurse and she said to go to an Urgent Care unit while still in Raleigh. UGH! My Dad and Stepmom were kind enough to stay in town while we did all this. Once Caleb was seen and given prescriptions they headed home.

Chris and I went back to the hotel, packed quickly, and headed to the pharmacy to pick Caleb's drugs. At this point we called our friends in Charlotte, NC and told them that our visit was a No-Go because of Caleb's illness. We started our journey home after Chris and I stopped by our favorite coffee shop. It was bittersweet because we don't know when we will be back to Raleigh. But, we needed to get our boy home and thus, we started our journey back to Georgia. Caleb slept the majority of the trip and that made my heart feel good. He sure needed it!

We got home, unpacked, bathed, and settled in. It was a very eventful weekend. There was celebration and sickness. But, above all it was a wonderful time with family and enjoying each other's love and fellowship. I can't wait till we can do that again! I think it might be this summer when we all gather together in the NC mountains. I am so ready for that trip.

Life Through the Eyes of a 17-Month Old

Caleb turned 17 months old today and life sure is exciting at this age. What are the two most important things to him? Balls and Cookies! This boy wakes up saying "ball ball ball" or "gooky gooky." Y'all I don't give this boy that many cookies but he lives and breathes cookies and balls. And then, he goes to bed saying "ball ball" or "gooky gooky." I look forward to a wider vocabulary and other interests. In the meantime I will enjoy his simple pleasures in life. I have to admit that I like cookies too!

I Guess He Wants To Be Just Like His Big Sister

What Is It About Boys And Destruction?

It is becoming more and more clear to this Mommy that Caleb is ALL BOY!! He is starting to play in ways that say nothing more.

The other day he put his tractor toy (push the little farmer and the tractor will drive a short distance) on a kitchen chair, push the farmer, and watch the tractor drive off into the abyss....laughing hysterically. He did it over and over again.

Then last night he took his little puppy toy and put it on the ottoman and pulled the leash to make it roll off the ottoman onto the floor...laughing hysterically, again.

Finally, Chris and I were with him in his nursery. We have stored his infant swing in there for a while. Caleb walked up to the swing and started to push it to watch it swing. He would push it back and then put his head in the right position so that when the swing came back towards him it would bump his head and/or pacifier. He did THAT over and over again...laughing hysterically.

Why do boys do such things?

I think I have my work set out for me.

So Tired....Zzzzzz....Oh Sorry!

Can you tell that I'm really tired today? Yesterday was so long and exhausting. I thought I was on the way to normalcy and Caleb to health when I wrote this post. After dinner I went to Chris' parent's house to pick up Caleb from my Quick Reprieve and he was doing great. Whoo! I thought we were over the hill. Well, around 8 or so he woke up SCREAMING like he had done two previous times that day. I held him, rocked him, played the piano, etc. Finally, it took a good dose of Tylenol and his stuffed monkey that did the trick. He went on to bed.

While Caleb is fighting his issues I am fighting my sinuses. It happens every year around this time. So, I had taken some Sinus Meds and those usually keep me awake at night if I take them too late in the day. The meds are doing their job and I feel much better except for a lack of sleep.

Perhaps the Lord was keeping me up so that I would hear Caleb screaming at 1 am. We had another round of rocking, singing, monkey, and a dose of Ibuprofren this time. He went on to sleep and stayed there until 7 am.

I am calling the Doctor Man at 8:30 and am going to get Caleb an appointment. He's been tugging at his ear much more than I would like. I'll keep you posted on that. The good news is that Caleb is playing pretty hard with Eowyn right now.

Please pray that we get to the bottom of this illness so that Caleb can feel like himself again. Thank you!

So Tired!

Caleb's Best Friend

Chris and I have returned from the camping trip and are thrilled to be back home and our family complete again. Caleb did stay at Chris' parents' house for the weekend and Eowyn went to a friend's house. When everyone was back home it was very clear that Caleb and Eowyn were so happy to be back together.

My heart swells everytime I see how well Caleb and Eowyn play together. They LOVE each other so much! Caleb will go into the utility room and steal a piece of Eowyn's doggie food and will run all over the house with that one piece just to taunt Eowyn. He will steal Mousers, the most favored toy, and will hold it up in the air and run and run until Eowyn can't handle it anymore. There are plenty of games of hide and seek. When Caleb is eating in his high chair Eowyn will always be right by his side to stand guard beg for food.

When it is time to relax and enjoy a little tv there is sometimes a competition for who gets to stay on the bean bag. Caleb loves to sit there when he watches his Baby Einstein video and Eowyn curls up there with Mousers like it is one of her dog beds. Maybe I should tell her to put a bean bag on her Christmas list.

While there is plenty of competition and antagonizing between these two kids there is also so much love and affection. I feel like I am raising a brother and sister who will punch each other at home but will make anyone else regret they even thought about harming the other. If Eowyn forgets herself, gets overly excited, and knocks Caleb over she is the first to run over to him to check on him and lick his face. Just recently I caught Caleb walk up to Eowyn and give her a big sloppy kiss right on the head. I paused whatever I was doing and I reveled in the beauty of their relationship. Eowyn is most definitely Caleb's best friend. I am looking forward to the many years ahead with these two. It will be precious.

Whoever Thinks They Can Camp Light Don't Have a 16-Month Old

This coming weekend is going to be great! We are going on our annual camping trip with all our friends. This trip was started four years ago when a few of us were looking for a way to get away on the cheap. It has since turned into an annual event that is just short of a holiday. It is growing as more friendships are formed and more babies are born. There will be three kiddies there this year along with one in the womb. Chris and I laugh when we think about what it will look like 10 years from now. Y'all this is a HUGE event.

Last night, Chris and I spent the time between Caleb going to bed and our nightly date to organize all our camping supplies and pre-pack. A couple of years ago Chris compiled a master camping checklist and we went off that and got about 90% of it done.

The wild card this year is that Caleb will be camping overnight with us for the very first time. We attended the trip last year for just a day and spent the nights at my Dad's house because the state park was only 30 minutes from his house. This is the first time Caleb will sleep in a tent. With that in mind we had to pack for him too. He needs diapers, wipes, warm jammies, socks, extra warm clothes, hat, coat, etc. The list seems like it never ends. I confess I am anxious about it but I've put into God's hands. If anything, it will be a bonding time for the family and whoever shares our campsite with us. Hee hee! We are taking his mobile, blankie, stuffed monkey, and BOTH pacifiers.

Needless to say, this is not a "pack light" trip and not even close to Primitive Camping. We have to take the van just because we have so much junk stuff essentials. Tonight will be spent prepacking the van. I will be going to the grocery store today and baking cookies for everyone and hopefully packing clothes. Whoo! You would think we were leaving for a week. Nope! Just a weekend.

Oh, we also have to pack up Eowyn so she can go to a friend's house to be doggie-sat. Good Grief!

Update: Caleb is coughing, sneezing, and a bit snotty. He doesn't seem overly sick. We are watching him and I'm keeping him out of the YMCA and the church nursery. I'm giving him lots of juice and having him take plenty of naps. Please pray for healing for him. Chris and I would do the right thing if it came down to it but we REALLY REALLY REALLY want to go on this trip. Some of our friends who will be there we only see once a year on this trip. Thanks!

Pumpkin Patch Party!!

Last night was Caleb's very first Pumpkn Patch Party at our church. Well, we could've gone last year but apparently he was "too small" to go (so says Chris). ;-)

The festivities started when I changed Caleb into his costume. We had to get ready early because we got a call from Chris' parents saying we just HAD to bring Caleb by so he could go trick-or-treating at their house. Here is Caleb posing in his costume. Chris' mom got it for us at The Cracker Barrell for 75% off and we've had it in storage until last night.


Here we are walking through the parking lot towards all the festivities. Caleb was pretty excited with all he saw and heard.


This is what was awaiting our arrival. What you see was just one side of the church. The activities went all the way around the church and well into the inside as well. There was so much to do! Who needs to go Trick-Or-Treating when you have Pumpkin Patch!?!?



Chris and Caleb waiting in line to get our candy bag and wrist bands.



Caleb was already feeling a little to tired as soon as we got into the event. Poor Guy!



But, the swings can wake any tired little boy up!! Who can resist a good swing? Wheeee!



Yummm! Chocolate!! Caleb ate his first Hershey's Chocolate bar. What have I done?!



Caleb's favorite game was the basketball game. It was near impossible to pull him away.



Or putting the Beanie Babies in the Buckets.



The end of a very fun first Pumpkin Patch Party. We'll be back next year for sure!

My Boy LOVES to Swing!

(This picture was taken back in July, but the expression on his face never changes)

The weather is finally getting cool down here in SE GA. We actually ran the heater last night for the first time this season. I was snuggled up so tight in my bed and slept so well.

Anyway, the weather has made for some great time outside playing with Caleb. One of the places we are frequenting is the little community park across the parking lot from our local library. If we are in town and we have enough time in our errands schedule, we will visit the park.

A couple weeks ago Chris and I were swinging Caleb and we heard him saying, "EEEEEEEE!" After a minute or two we noticed that he was actually trying to say, "Wheeeeeeee!" From then on it has stuck.

Today I was going to run into the library to return some books and check one out. I pulled into the parking lot and I heard a very loud, "EEEEEEEEE!" from the back seat. Caleb saw the swings and he was ready to GO! (I had already planned for a swing visit).

I am amazed at the rate that Caleb is soaking things in these days. He is my little sponge.

Going For A Swim??

I just HAD to post this picture because I laughed and laughed when I made this discovery. I knew Caleb had been playing in the bathroom and by the time I got the bathroom to pull him out there was no reason to think anything was odd. The toilet cover was even nicely put down. When I went into the bathroom to go...well, you know...I lifted the toilet cover and found this. I'm just glad I looked down first. That mouse (a.k.a Mousers to us) is the love of Eowyn's little heart. I put my needs to the side and ran for the camera and took some pictures. (Chris said the picture was kind of gross but I just couldn't resist sharing.) I pulled the mouse out by the tail which wasn't wet and carried it in a towel and dropped it into the washer for the next load. I know Eowyn is probably missing her dear friend and will be reunited very soon.

I'm just glad I didn't find this in my toilet.

"Their's was a Love Affair!"

UPDATE: The Reunion
Eowyn got Mousers back this morning after running the wash. Look how bright Mousers is now.
Eowyn kept sniffing and sniffing as if she was trying to find her scent.

The Blessing of Diapers

Like I said before, I've been learning a lot the past few days as I walk through this "valley" of tantrums and diaper rash. The Lord is really using this time to teach me some things.

On Thursday, I ran some errands with my Mother-in-Law because she was helping me out while my car was in the shop. We ran my errands first and then we went to Sam's Club. I love that place! Chris' mom was so generous and she bought me a BIG box of diapers for Caleb. I recently got my order of diapers from Amazon.com and I was set for the month but I NEVER turn down a box of diapers from anywhere. It was a real blessing to lug that box into the house and stack the diapers up on the changing table.

Little did I know that Caleb would come down with an upset tummy and go through ten diapers on Friday alone and who knows how many over the weekend and even now. I could have bought more diapers if needed but it would really stretch my grocery budget for the month. But, I was given a big box of diapers.

The Lord knew I would need extra diapers and He provided!! The Lord provides in the big things and he provides in the little things....even diapers. This is just one of the things I'm learning these days.



Graphic From AllPosters.com

I Am Such A Needy Mom!

I have to say that I am really tired right now. I have been working steady in the house...cleaning, baking, laundry, etc. I have just now sat down to really enjoy my computer and blogging time. I can hear Caleb in his room making noises and that tells me that he probably won't be taking a very good afternoon nap today.

The past weekend has been something else. Caleb continues to have a very sore bottom even though the diapers are becoming less frequent. Changing his diaper is still quite hard but I think we are making progress. Either Caleb is learning to deal with the pain (seriously doubt it) or he is actually starting to feel better. Trying to take care of him and catch up with my much neglected house from the weekend is proving to be challenging. I am thankful, though, that I have the rest of the week to work on it. I don't have any major obligations this week and that makes me so happy.

In the midst of this chaos I have actually learned quite a lot. I am thankful that I have still been able to sit down each day for a few minutes to pray and ponder. One thing that God has made very clear to me is how needy I really am. I can't do this Mommy gig alone. I need His presence around me and this house each and every day. I need his strength. I need his wisdom.

One struggle I've had this week is actually being angry at Caleb for being sick. Why couldn't he let me change his diaper and give him medicine without a fight and scene? Didn't he know I was only trying to help him? Doesn't he know how much I love him and I would NEVER hurt him on purpose?? On Saturday, I think, I caught myself having these horrible thoughts and I prayed for God's strength and His patience. It was then that I started to see everything from Caleb's point of view. He was in pain and there was nothing he could do about it. He just needed a Mommy to understand and to love him through it. At that point I was ashamed of my previous thoughts and I realized how I am still a mere person who sins every single day....even as a mother. I can't rely on my own strength to get this job done. I need Him.

I think it is amazing how God can teach us things through even the simplest events. I have learned more about my need and dependence on God through my son's diaper rash than I have in so many other, bigger events. God is awesome like that, isn't He?!




Graphic From AllPosters.com

I'm Ready For A White Christmas!!

A couple of weeks ago Chris and I, along with Chris' sister and her Hubby, decided to go to Rockford, Illinois for Christmas. Being that we live here in SE Georgia there is no real need for a heavy coat but I know there is in ILL. So, Chris' Mom was generous enough to buy Caleb a proper coat. Doesn't he look cute?!?! You can probably tell that it is still quite warm down here. Look at those cute, white legs! He's got his Mama's fair skin. ;-)

Caleb Decided to Share

UGH!! Caleb decided he wanted to share his nasty cold with his Mommy. So, I may or may not be popping in for a day or two. Pray we get better soon. Thanks!