Everyone in their right place

I’ve had the pleasure of getting to see Caleb in the midst of play at school over the past couple days. Our usual routine is that I drop him off and Brian picks him up. On Wednesday, we have church dinners, so I pick him up from school and Brian meets us at church. Yesterday when I got to school there were 4 or 5 other kids still there and all of them were standing up talking and playing around a large toy car. Caleb saw me, and grinned, but was having so much fun he didn’t even crawl over for a pick-up! All the babies were making their baby noises and crawling around the car and their climbing toys. There was children’s worship music on in the background. Everyone had just had a snack and was fed and happy.

This morning when I dropped Caleb off, the two other babies who also do long days like Caleb were already there. Caleb starting playing with the other little boy right away, talking and imitating each other’s noises and chasing each other around the room. One would chase the other, the one being chased stopping to look back at the other boy, pausing then grinning and continuing to crawl away. I recognized it immediately as the chasing game he plays with Brian and I at home. It was so cute and fun! 

We’ve had a bit of a rough month with Caleb, the first ear infection not being completely healed therefore bringing on a second. When he’s sick I hate leaving him to go to work, jugging our schedules and sending him back to school before I’d like to. But when he’s not sick it’s obvious that school is a fun place for him to be all day. He eats everything they put in front of him, takes 2 really good naps and smiles at everyone who crosses his path. His teachers celebrate all his milestones with us, yesterday it was eating all his pizza sticks and continued progress in standing on his own. I’m grateful for the care he receives from professionals who have a true love for the babies. Caleb’s such an easygoing baby, I think he’d thrive in most environments, but I’m grateful for this one with his friends and caregivers in such a loving atmosphere. In truth, I’m not sure I’d make such a great stay at home mom. With Brian and I at work and Caleb at school I know that everyone is in their right place.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

It’s our first Christmas as parents. And we’re being responsible shoppers. I mean, yes, I did already buy my kid the first dump truck ride-on/push toy I saw a Christmas ad for and threw in Llama Llama Holiday Drama because who can resist that little llama?? And there’s the Christmas jammie and ornament tradition we plan on starting. Did I mention that I bought him a winter coat this week too? It’s getting cold here in Tennessee and we’re headed to Wisconsin in two weeks and I started to freak out a little bit, so off to Old Navy we went! It’s a fleece lined puffy coat that he’ll probably sweat in, but he won’t be cold no sir! Since we were out I made a stop at Target for more diapers and socks. And I haven’t mentioned this, but we’re dealing with another bout of ear infection so it was a trip to the doctor and more antibiotics this week, with Brian and I each taking off a day to be with him at home. 

Sigh.  

The holidays are also when nonprofits ask the community to help out the less fortunate, especially when it comes to children. Those families who can’t “throw in” a book to their Amazon cart, pick up diapers willy nilly, make a less minute doctor’s visit, buy a warm coat without a second thought for buying groceries (hello formula) or paying the rent or the heating bill. Those who can’t take off from work to be with a sick kid. Those didn’t put in an offer on a house again yesterday. Those who aren’t sure where they’re going to be living at Thanksgiving or Christmas. Gratefulness for the ability to provide for Caleb has been emotionally overwhelming this week.

This always happens at the holiday season, but it really hits home as a parent. I felt it last year too, nine months pregnant, with a job that was going to let me take off twelve weeks paid, boxes of clothes for the little one to come, friends and family ready to pitch in, plans to deliver at a hospital that resembled a country club. I was grabbing those little sheets at Starbucks with families in need like a crazy person, first the older child because they often get overlooked, then at the last minute a toddler like I imagined my baby might be in a couple Christmases. My husband didn't say a word as I shopped for gifts for them, mostly because truly his heart is as soft as mine in this area.

If I seem to resemble the Grinch in trying to calm the storm of PRESENTS. PRESENTS FOR THE BABY’S FIRST CHRISTMAS, know that part of that comes from this place. When I think of my baby who likes a cardboard box as much as a toy showered with Christmas presents*, I also think of the baby who needs a warm coat or warm pajamas. Who’s only Christmas present will come from a place like Family Sharing (MKE) or Last Minute Toy Store (Nashville).  

As our family heads in Advent I hope that we continue to think of others as much as we think of ourselves. 

*With his first birthday three weeks later, no less.

Regaining My Mama Confidence

On my 12 weeks of maternity leave, plus 5 weeks before I started work here in Nashville, I learned how to be an "on my own" mama. I had my finger on the pulse of Caleb's ever evolving routine. But since I went back to work full time, Brian and I have created our own two parent routine. It depends on both of us pulling our weight with the house and Caleb's needs.This is the first time that Brian has traveled for work overnight since his trip to Nashville to interview and I was more than a little nervous to solo parent all weekend. I'm great at getting us out the door, making dinner and the bedtime routine. But Brian is Caleb's playmate. He can take him when I need to finish a meal or getting ready.

It turns out, this weekend was just what I needed to regain my mama confidence. Caleb and I have had a great weekend.

On Friday he happily ate dinner in the kitchen with Mama, while I made mashed carrots for him and dinner for myself. 

On Saturday we had a lazy morning, with Caleb up by 6am and ready to go back to sleep by 8am! It's not unusual for Caleb to catch up on his sleep on Saturdays, so he took a two and a half hour nap and I still had to go in and wake him up! We needed to head out for our big plans - our first trip to the Nashville Zoo! I was told that the Zoo had a great playground for little kids, so I figured this was the perfect trip to get us out of the house. 

Outside the playground. Can you see that he's sitting on an alligator head??

Outside the Kangaroo exhibit, a special place where the Kangaroos are allowed to roam without fences, so they jump right across your path!

The special tot area, all padded. Caleb loved crawling around and watching the other kids.

All worn out from our time at the Zoo. Ready for a car nap!

We had such a great time at the Zoo. Caleb wasn't very excited about the animals but he loved to look at all the people, especially the bigger kids. We sat and had lunch- butternut squash and crackers for the baby, apple slices and peanut noodles for me. As we sat happily eating, I was so glad I took the risk of a big trip out solo. Caleb took another massive nap, starting in the car and finishing up at home.

We had dinner and a little playtime before bath and books. This morning we made it to church, where Caleb had a great time in the nursery, as usual. Now we're ready for Daddy to come home tonight! 

Can't Hold Me Down

Caleb is such a little ball of energy. I could expound on how I knew this when I was still pregnant with him - he never stopped moving! I could give examples like last night, when Brian and I got deep in conversation for 60 seconds and Caleb made it up three stairs before I raced over to spot him. I could say that checking on him on the video monitor while he's sleeping cracks me up every time, because I never see him still. Even sitting in his high chair, he's wiggling or waving his arms or kicking his legs. I'm so grateful to have a healthy, happy baby who constantly wants to explore, but it's making one part of my life very difficult.

Diaper changes. It's not the wiggling...it's the crying. The wailing as if I am ruining his life. I realized this morning, it's not because he's hungry from just waking up. It's not because he's tired at the end of the day. The act of changing him doesn't seem to bother him. It's because he despises with the fire of a thousand suns being held down. A pacifier helps a little bit, but once he pulls it out to play with it, he remembers that he's not allowed to roll over and starts wailing again.

I knew that most kids go through a stage where they fight diaper changes, but I didn't expect it this early. Just like I didn't expect having to work on "no hit" by 9 months.

Brian's gone a business trip all weekend and frankly, I'm terrified to do all the diaper changes by myself. Caleb's working on his roundhouse skills and he's eventually going to kick me in the face, I just know it.

 

RAWR! 

Lion face in a rare moment of sitting

Caleb, Nine Months

I didn’t mean to take such a long absence. My computer has been on the fritz, needing two different repairs in the last month. There was another trip to North Carolina, a business trip to Ohio and a general increase in activity. We’ve started attending a church regularly, including Wednesday night dinner, and it’s starting to feel like home. I recognize more faces each Sunday morning and had lunch with one of our new pastors last week. I still miss our friends in Wisconsin, but it gets a little easier every week.

Caleb, of course, is growing like a weed. At 9 months, he can pull up and walk around holding onto the furniture. He crawls like a big boy and the best time he does that is daycare pick up. He now crawls over to whoever picks him up, excited to see Mom or Dad. He cut his front two teeth at the same time, bringing the total to six. He went up another diaper size! He can eat baby crackers on his own, shoving them open-palmed into his mouth. He’s not much of a cuddler, except when he wakes up crying, which is happening nightly sometime between 9 and 10pm. We really have no clue what’s going on – if he’s waking up from his first REM cycle, if his teeth are bothering him, if he’s having nightmares or night terrors. We try to avoid using Tylenol or resorting to another bottle, but sometime there’s no other way to calm him. He continues to be a happy, smiling boy, the life of the party, a total entertainer. My parents have been here this weekend, and Caleb coos and smiles through every meal, responding to their silly faces.

Everyday is a new adventure as we watch our baby turn into a curious little toddler.