21 Baby!

Caleb turned 21 months on Sunday. I can't believe how big he's gotten. Because I have so many photos on my computer, the numbers have started repeating. When posting pictures to the blog, I type in the image number I want, and several pull up. It's so fun for me to look at the same photo number of Caleb as a baby and compare it to the image I'm trying to post. He's such a little boy now!

He says tons of words, and repeats us all the time. Sometimes, he'll be doing his own thing and I think he's not paying any attention to us at all when he'll suddenly repeat something we just said. He uses two word sentences most of the time, but garbles four and five word sentences (it's just that only two of the words are understandable). He'll use phrases that are longer, but since those words always go together, I often think they're more like long syllable words rather than multiple word sentences. His favorite words to say are definitely "mommy" and "daddy" which he'll repeat over and over again until he gets our attention.

I think his biggest accomplishment of late is that he's started feeding himself the sacrament water. Not the bread, just the water. I think the reason he only does the water is because Mommy is quick on the uptake when it comes to the bread, but slow enough on the water that Caleb has a chance to snag one for himself.

He loves the computer and whenever he sees one he asks for one of two things: either Elmo or Agnes. Sometimes both. If we say no to one, he'll usually ask for the other. It's funny to me that he loves Agnes so much when this summer he was rather afraid of her. But now, whenever we ask him the name of any little girl, typically he'll first respond with Agnes. Lately, since Laura and I have been eager to show off our Christmas crafts to someone, we've been talking to Agnes on Skype a lot, so now Caleb's positive that that's what computers are for.

Most of Caleb's loves have been previously noted on this blog (i.e. cooking, climbing, jumping, throwing balls). One other thing he loves is to dish out the food at dinnertime. Usually, he'll serve himself and Mommy (if he gets a hold of the serving spoon, which isn't always the case). Daddy then has to beg Caleb for food. Caleb's often very particular about who gets to do things. Which means that when he's in one of his moods, only Mommy is allowed to touch the serving spoon, or feed Caleb a bite of food. Often times, Brandon will try to give Caleb a bite and Caleb will refuse it, then Brandon will hand me the same bite of food and I'll give it to Caleb who willingly eats it.

He's a pretty picky eater. Not necessarily about what we're eating, but more whether he's in the mood to eat or not. Sometimes when he refuses food, I remind him that it's really a food he loves. Sometimes he'll believe me and try a bite, but most of the time, if he doesn't feel like eating, nothing I can do will convince him to eat (not even force feeding him). While he can feed himself, he prefers that I do it for him. Whenever we sit down at the table, he'll push his bowl over toward me so that I can feed him his food. He hates eating alone and won't sit at the table for lunch unless I'm sitting right next to him.

He was sick this past week, so he slept a ton. Now, when Brandon goes into his room to get him after a nap or in the morning, Caleb sits up in bed and says "Hi Daddy." It's very cute. He sleeps eleven to twelve hours at night and typically takes a three hour nap during the day (when he's not sick -- when he is sick, he sleeps even more). We're night owls around here, and Caleb is no exception. None of us wake up before nine. Caleb's bedtime is somewhere between 9:30 and 10 pm.

Most of the time, he's a total ham for the camera. He loves his mommy and daddy, his nana and grandpa, and Agnes. Those are the people he asks for all the time (sorry to everyone else, but we're bad at teaching our kid who people are when he doesn't see them often). He's getting better at playing with others and rarely throws tantrums anymore. He voluntarily says please and thank you, which means he gets his way more often than he ought to.

He's just an angel and we love him dearly. He's the kind of kid that makes you never want to have another, because how could anyone else ever compare? Not to mention, he's so stinkin' cute!

Caleb Needs a Sibling

An older sibling, actually. Eight years old seems to be a good age. Though six and a half would work.

When Caleb was a little baby, I often thought he wasn't meant to be the oldest child. He was just so calm and laid back and didn't get upset when his older cousins beat up on him.

In a lot of ways, he's still like that. For example, when Naomi bites him, he doesn't cry, despite the fact that she leaves teeth marks. Lots of teeth marks. Sure, he has his toddler moments, but he's still a pretty chill kid. And he LOVES to play with older kids.

Last night, we went over to Brandon's sister's house, and Caleb absolutely loved playing with all his cousins. The two oldest girls were really sweet with him, and he just loved them. To the point that he didn't care where Mommy and Daddy were as long as his cousin McKinley was in sight.

When we first got there, he was his shy little self, needing one of us to be near. Then Becca, age six and a half, turned on the keyboard and microphone for him. She played with him for a moment, then got down from the bench and Caleb immediately insisted that she join him again. (That's Shelby, age five, hiding behind Becca.)



McKinley, who's eight, thought it was fun to pick Caleb up. She'd count to three, lifting him a little higher with each number. Caleb loved it! After several times of playing this game, he'd lift his legs up before she got to three, leaving her with a super heavy Caleb to try and lift. Somehow she managed it.


Caleb loved sitting in McKinley's lap. He'd pat the ground, telling her to sit down, then sit in her lap. Becca tried to get him to do it with her, but he wouldn't. Only McKinley.


Caleb found this hat (above) in the play room and wore it on and off all night. Which is odd because he doesn't like wearing hats. He'll wear his beanie now that it's cold, but still isn't a fan of hats. I guess that doesn't apply to construction hats though.

(Below) Playing with a balloon Becca gave him.

One of the reason Caleb loves older kids so much is that he can wrestle with them, but they're gentle with him at the same time. Sometimes when he tries to play the same way with kids his size, the other kids don't like it (since he can be a little rough). For example, when he tickles, it's not really tickling, but more like pinching (though not actually pinching). McKinley was really good with him and didn't mind the pinching/tickling since it didn't hurt her.

Here he is (below) helping Daddy to tickle McKinley's feet.




McKinley loved holding Caleb and Caleb loved being held by her. At one point, she was holding him cradled in her arms and kept dipping him down. He loved it and would arch his head back, wanting to be dipped again.




(Below) McKinley and Caleb playing a duet. Caleb likes to play and sing at the same time.




Before we left, McKinley played her violin for us. Caleb loved it so much that after she was done, he really wanted a turn playing the violin. At one point, he made a mad dash for it and Becca saved the violin from him just in the nick of time.

Caleb was so sad to leave. He totally cried, which is a sign of how much fun he had. The funniest part about it was that Brandon was holding a crying Caleb and put him down so that he could put his shoes on. McKinley held Caleb in her lap and he immediately stopped crying. Hopefully Caleb will get to play with his cousins again soon since he really loved them so very much.

What You Learn From Books

Christmas Surprise

This year, I asked Brandon for one thing for Christmas and told him that's all I wanted (to better ensure that I get it for Christmas). I've been telling him for months that this is the one thing I want. Which really doesn't leave him with much room to do anything else but get me that one present. So he's been coming up with things he can do for me all month to surprise me for Christmas.

One of those surprises was that he bought lights for the outside of our house. I love Christmas lights, but we've never been able to put them up outside because we don't have a plug outside. Well, Brandon fixed that too. And now we have lights!

Caleb was fascinated by the whole process and was not content to watch through the window with Mommy. He loves to help his daddy do manly things.





It was seriously the best surprise. I love our lights and love being able to look out our window and see them. Caleb loves it too and always requests that I open the blinds so he can see the lights.

Jingle Bells Rap Attack

The first song Caleb learned to sing is "Jingle Bells." Sure, he knew a few words to "Once There Was a Snowman" and "Popcorn Popping," but "Jingle Bells" he learned in it's entirety.

The trick to getting him to sing a whole song? Wrapping paper rolls used as a microphone. Or maybe a megaphone.

That and we like to rap.

A duet with Daddy.


Did I saw microphone? I meant half microphone, half death sword.



Wait! Look at Mommy! There's my cute boy.



Enough smiles. Time to attack.






And when your sword breaks in half, it still works as a microphone.




Peace treaty.


Now it's time to rest...and maybe sing another verse.



(Pictures taken 12/17/08)