Caleb’s 6-Month Check-Up
03/20/2008
Caleb’s 6-Month check up was on March 5th. Here are his stats:
Apparently, i have a tall, skinny kid with a little head.
Life at the Whiting Resort
03/17/2008
Well, we are officially settled in at the Whiting Resort. Okay, it’s not a resort, but it is the house I was raised in and my parents have been kind enough to let us live with them for a bit. It’s been such a blessing to be able to interact with my parents when they are here. We help each other out with meals and dishes and stuff like that. It’ll be hard to go back to doing it on my own!
When we first got here in mid-February, we started looking for a house right away. Well, we actually ended up buying the first house we looked at! We looked at about 30 more after that one and just kept going back to that first one. So, we close on April 18th and are totally stoked. It’s a walk out rambler just off of the lake in Forest Lake. The lot is 1 acre, so we have a nice little chunk of land that we can play on. It feels very cabinesque. The backyard backs up to a DNR wildlife reserve, so it has that nature feeling. Josh is already considering his first riding lawn mower! We pretty much can’t wait to get settled in and feeling normal again.
Caleb has grown up so much over the past month. I already see him switching slowly into being a toddler because he seems to have things to do every single day. Like, “Don’t cuddle me now mom, I’m trying to get this monkey to pop out of the box again.” Stuff like that. He plays all day long with so much vigor! His favorites include using the walker to run laps around the table and find his mama, jumping like mad in his jumperoo, playing with cars, baths with mom where he “swims” to get his ducky, and floor gymnastics with me. We will be starting mommy-and-me swim classes in a couple of weeks. We also like to go outside and look in the pigeon coop and then feed the horses bread.
Caleb also got his first cold, which I also got. This kept both of us down for a week as it took it’s toll. We are both doing better though and just have runny noses and mild coughs. He is a really happy baby and is always smiling and giggling unless he’s hungry or tired. The last couple of nights he has been such a ham because he won’t stop laughing at everything. This pretty much gets everyone else around him laughing too! I can’t wait for him to be able to talk so he can tell us what is so darn funny!
Josh is Confusing
03/11/2008
Josh often speaks to me in metaphor, so it took me a minute to figure this one out.
Me: Josh, do you like my new pants?
Josh: When I eat an apple, I never use a knife.
After sitting quietly for a good five minutes, pondering what this could possibly mean, I realized that his mind was elsewhere. He was talking about the lunch I packed for him, which included an apple, a small container of dipping caramel, and a knife with which to cut his apple. He apparently didn’t want the knife.
But wait, what did he think of my new pants? Later that day I asked again and he simply said, “If you had an eyepatch, you’d look like a pirate.” Maybe later I will ask him if he likes pirates.
Our Last Day in California
02/20/2008
My mom and Kristin (my sister-in-law) were so gracious to come to California for our last weekend there to help us get our stuff together. They were awesome help and helped us pack up the last of our things and get the house smokin’ clean! If it weren’t for them and the many friends that pitched in, Josh and I would have been doomed. I felt so loved by all the help we received.
On our last day in California, Sunday, February 17th, we left our hotel and went to Starbucks for some coffee while Josh went to exchange our rented SUV for a giant van. Caleb ate some applesauce and pretty much just flirted with us the entire time (those EYES!!!). We ended up running a million odd errands that day, including a random trip to Pier 39 in San Francisco, but made it to the airport (SFO) at about 10:30 p.m. to hop on our plane to Minneapolis. Josh returned the rental van and we stood in line with Caleb, Henson (our dog), and Five (our cat). Then we realized that our flight had been cancelled. Yes, cancelled.
The man behind the desk said, “Well, I could put you all in a hotel, but you have a dog and cat with you. So, I really don’t know what to do.”
NWA stinks stinks stinks. Josh has sworn them off for all time, merge with Delta or otherwise.
We eventually ended up eating at a 24 hour Lori’s Diner in the airport before taking a shuttle down to the San Jose airport. We hung out there before getting on an early morning flight which landed us in the Twin Cities just after noon. I stayed up as late as I could trying to sort through our suitcases and add some sanity to our lives.
That day was crazy. But, we made it here safe and sound. The weather has been cold, but the warmth inside and the incredible views have been far worth it. Caleb is happy and talkative so far and Josh is also doing well. We are all so excited to start this new chapter in our lives. And tomorrow, the house hunting process begins!
My Little Helper
02/07/2008
Well, we officially move in 11 days. I’ve been working during the day, with Caleb in tow, trying to pack and organize our stuff. I’ve hardly made a dent in the garage, let alone the rest of the house. Before baby Stephanie would have been done with the garage by now and been moving forward with the house, but I have to remember not to compare myself with that old self. The with baby Stephanie is working really hard, but has to take breaks for feedings, diapers, cuddles, and fun time. She has to stop when Caleb tries to help close a box or decides to explore a stack of washcloths. He seems to really be enjoying this time though, and that makes me happy.
Hopefully I can finish off the garage by Saturday morning so that I will have one full week to pack and clean the house. I should have reinforcements coming in by then to help with it all, and I am very thankful for that. I am just trying to lay the ground work so that the reinforcements actually have laid out tasks that are ready to go when they get here.
I can’t wait to be done with this move and relaxing in Minnesota. Although, Josh and I hung out with some dear friends tonight that we may or may not see before we go. That was probably my first real emotional understanding of what it means to be leaving a place you’ve called home for six years.
Photo Description: I have been working hard to organize and pack our stuff. I had to set Caleb down for a second while I moved a box and my best choice was this dog bed. He thought it was the neatest place and started laughing and kicking so I took this pic on my cell phone. What a funny little helper! (Caleb is 5 months old)
You Say Goodbye, But I Say Hello
02/03/2008
We’re moving. I’m ecstatic, I’m sad, I’m overwhelmed, I’m living in a pile of boxes with a huge list of things to do. But mostly, I’m happy. Josh and I have been so blessed here in California. We’ve had awesome jobs, awesome church, and awesome friends.
All of that aside, I’m so excited to rejoin our families & friends in Minnesota. I miss all of the seasons (yes even the painful cold of winter) and I miss my parents’ hobby farm. I miss the Sunday afternoon brunches. I miss my nieces and nephew’s everything. I miss the sibling rivalry. So, while I’m leaving a lot behind in California, I feel that there is so much to be gained by going back to Minnesota. God has opened a door for us and our lips are filled with praises to Him as we walk through it.
A New Chapter in Life
01/31/2008
Saturday
Josh and I went to Hyde today and went through the whole classroom to box up my stuff. I was super thankful that I carefully labeled stuff as either “Hyde” or “Lewis” depending on who paid for it, that made it easy for me to find what was mine and box it up. I had several boxes of plastic toys (dinosaurs, lobsters, etc.) that I used for drawing lessons, wide-up toys that were for stress-release races, a ton of art books, my curriculum binders, some art supplies, a couple of rugs, some tools, a bunch of postcards from my museum trips, lamps, and who knows what else. A lot of stuff – that’s what you collect over six years as an art teacher. A lot of things that were mine we decided to just donate because they were of much needed use there.
Josh, Caleb, and I were there for about four hours packing things up and loading them into our cars. Then, just after 7 p.m., I did a last check through the room, stood in the doorway, said a prayer, flipped off the lights, then locked and closed the door for the last time. I held my breath as the door slammed closed, recognizing the symbolism of another chapter of my life closed.
In the car, I turned on NPR and A Prairie Home Companion was on. That, combined with the bad weather, made it feel like I was back in Minnesota. Caleb snored in his car seat and the rain beat down on my car. I had to concentrate on breathing slowly, rhythmically because it seemed to be too much to take in.
Monday
I went in to Hyde today to give my resignation. I don’t think anyone was surprised that I did and the principal said that I was a great teacher and that I’d be hard to replace. That was really nice. I then went to the district office and put in my resignation there. It felt sad in one sense, but was a huge weight off my shoulders in another sense.
Thursday
It has set in that I am not returning to my job as an art teacher. I’ve been thinking about pursuing other more flexible career paths, probably something that uses my IT & Design skills. For now, though, my hands are plenty full caring for Caleb and trying to take control of the giant storage closet that is my house. I’m actually a little frightened of how much work it is going to take to get the clutter and disarray in my house under control, but what did I expect after several years of stuff-neglect? I’ve got a plan though so it should be in order in no time.
Little Bug Stats
01/26/2008
Caleb had his 4 month checkup on Friday (even though he’s almost five months old, but his actual 4 month appointment got cancelled.)
Here are his stats:
Date: 01/25/2008
Weight: 15 lbs., 12 oz. (44th percentile)
Height: 24 3/4″ (29th percentile)
Head: 16 1/4″ (16th percentile)
He’s a happy, strong little guy and is a picture of health! He got three shots and an oral vaccine which he did not like, but he was quite the little trooper.
Caleb is now quite the mover. He can now roll over from tummy to back and from back to tummy. He is very good at grabbing things and drooling all over them. He can also do this weird inch-worm crawl like thing (like a sack of potatoes gone robotic) if there is something in front of him that he wants. He fusses a lot while pushing himself forward to get that thing, but is so happy when he finally reaches it.
He’s really starting to connect with his environment. He loves to chew and suck on anything he can get. He is a super bath time kicker and splashes water all over me and the mirror; he thinks this is hilarious. He loves to pet 5 and Ella. He really gets going on the Jumperoo and is very capable of keeping the music going in his Baby Einstein gym. His favorite story is I See a Monster. He loves being sung to, and his favorites include The Boa Constrictor Song, Dream a Little Dream, Mahna Mahna, and the La La La Song. We go for walks in the park every day with him in a sling; he loves going in the swing there and also loves to watch the other kids scream and play. He is not interested in ducks or geese attacking people, but I am!
He is wearing size 9 months pants because the size 6 month ones don’t cover his chubby ankles. I have decided that sizes on baby clothes are laughable.
He is eating rice cereal and bananas (both mixed with breast milk) and the doctor said I should start introducing some fruits and veggies as well. He loves to eat when we eat. If you don’t feed him, he will grab your plate, food, & silverware and scream at you.
And, he loves to talk. He will look at you very seriously and talk for 10-15 minutes straight. Sometimes he seems very serious, and sometimes he gets quite dramatic (gee, where does he get that from?). When we go out, if people talk to him, he will usually greet them back with lots of words, eye contact, and cutie grins. A lady at Josh’s work said he’s the biggest flirt of a baby she’s ever met. (Word got around and Josh’s coworkers now say, “So, I heard your kid is a flirt.”)
Josh and I are really enjoying him. We have contests to see who can get him laughing the hardest. There are several things that will get him going. One is to go up and down in front of him (“I’m going down down down. Now I’m down. How’d I get down here? Now I go up up up! I’m UP!”). He also goes crazy for The Boa Constrictor song. Josh got him going big time the other day by showing him Cookie Monster clips on You Tube. When he rolls over he laughs. He is ticklish in the armpits and feet. If his Grover toy “fuzzles” him all over, that makes him laugh. Pretty much anything I do is amusing to him. Bath time and diaper changing also produces much laughter. He also loves if you dance with him, he just giggles the whole time.
Well, that’s the Caleb update!
How to Make Your Husband Adore You (Even More)
01/24/2008
Well, it worked for me anyway. I officially declared every Friday as “pizza night.” A couple of weeks ago I tried a pizza dough recipe, and it was pretty good. Then I found this one, the sworn “best pizza crust ever” by a woman who has had a pizza night for a long time.
My husband was complimenting me before I even took the pizza out of the oven, then in between bites, then continuously after the pizza had been consumed. Tonight we were coming home and he said, “Oh, I can’t wait for Friday pizza night!”
I was like, “Dude, this recipe is awesome.” So I decided that you should know the recipe too! Kudos to Amy from The Motherload for sharing!
(Oh, two things I did different from the recipe was to use 3 cups all-purpose flour and 1/4 cup whole wheat flour… just to get some whole grains in there. And I didn’t have onion powder, so I just doubled the garlic powder.)
Does this outfit look girly?
01/21/2008
I take Caleb to the park a lot. The last time I brought him in this outfit, many people were confused about his gender. “What a beautiful bo.. gir… uh… BABY you have,” they’d say. Who knows. I dress him in it because it’s fuzzy and warm, and I love fuzzy warm babies! Do you think it’s too girly? (In this pic he’s also wearing his puppy/kitty slippers which have rattles in them. He thinks they’re interesting and tries to bite them.)
One thing I love about the park is that everyone feeds the ducks and geese even though there are huge signs everywhere warning the public about the dangers of feeding them. Last week, I saw a woman send her two-year-old out in middle of the flock with a ziplock bag of bread crumbs. The birds started chasing him and he dropped the bag and ran, crying. Today, I watched some middle school kids take AN ENTIRE SHEET CAKE and fling pieces of it out to the many seagulls, ducks, and geese that were swarming them. These boys were tough though. If a bird got too close, they’d just kick it.
Another reason I love the park is because I like to see how everyone here thinks the weather is freezing. Today, which was a whopping 52 degrees F, people had their kids dressed in thick SNOWSUITS, complete with tied-under-the-chin hats, mittens, and boots. Yes, boots. One little girl kept pulling her hat off complaining that she was hot, but her mother insisted that she wear it. They must’ve thought I was crazy wearing a light sweatshirt. Caleb wore the outfit pictured above along with his blue knit Guatemalan hat. He and I were both plenty warm.
Sometimes we walk to the Starbucks across the street from the park to tank ourselves up (me on coffee & Caleb on mommy-milk). Today was awesome though because I went to the counter and ordered a grande mocha. The boy behind the counter said, “Do you want me to heat that to kid’s temp for him?” I stood there puzzled for a moment, then realized that he seriously thought I was giving my 4 1/2 month old baby a mocha. I said, “I think he’s a little young to be drinking a mocha.” The girl who was working with him was laughing so hard. Poor kid.