Here are two fun new skills Caleb learned these past two weeks. I have to credit my mom on the first one:

Kaiden came over to play a couple of days this week. The interaction between these two kids always has everyone laughing. Since Caleb is only four months older, they can interact with each other on a pretty even level. Here’s a video mostly of Caleb showing Kaiden how to play with his toys. As you read from a previous post, Caleb has a very specific method of playing with his toys, You can see him Showing Kaiden how to read his book, thump on the ottoman and click the plastic balls together.

Caleb got his first haircut this morning. I put this off until my mom was here visiting. I needed her moral support. I was anxious and sad. My little baby’s curls would be gone by this afternoon. Even though the said curls were more like stringy strands of hair by this point. His bangs were getting into his eyes and his sideburns were itching his ears. Plus, Andy would remind me every day how “sharp” he would look with a proper haircut.

So off we went to the baby barber. Of course I had my trusty camera in hand and a plastic baggy to keep the remains of his babyhood.

And the finished product:

This is the kind of mood we get post-bath and pre-bed.

We’ve finally mustered up enough courage to train Caleb to sleep in his crib the entire night (I’m a wuss, I know). up until then, He was sleeping in his crib for naps and half of the night until he woke up the first time then I would bring him to bed with me. Fortunately, it only took one night for him to learn that his crib was the place to be at night. Since then, He’s been sleeping from around 6pm - 6:30am with little to no waking. It feels almost unnatural to be able to sleep the whole night. I haven’t had the chance in well over a year. I love waking up (or being woken by a baby ready to get up), getting Caleb out of his crib and taking him to our room for some early morning cuddle time. The good sleeping habits have lasted about two weeks now even through bouts of teething and schedule changes. He sleeps so well, that we were able to have Grandpa over at the house after bedtime so we could go see a movie.

And because I can’t leave you guys without a picture, here are some baby lips:

I’m telling you, this child has been on the verge of walking for two whole months now. He’s taken a few steps independently as seen on his birthday post, but he quickly grows frusterated and gives up.

I’m not one to push his development, but there are times when I have had to walk into the other room and his crawling couldn’t keep up with me. He would get so upset that I left him behind. So to encourage his impending milestone, I bought him a pair of big-boy walking shoes the other day. I made a big deal about how he could walk outside in them and let him walk the few steps he could in stores, restaurants, and to the mailbox. Today when we were taking our daily walk to the mailbox, Caleb squatted down to pick up a rock on the driveway. Since he was still in a crouching position, he figured out that he could stand up again without my help (the sturdy base of the shoes also helped his balance). He did this several times; dropping the rock, squatting down to pick it up, and standing up again. It took 20 minutes to reach the house.

This evening, Caleb was playing in the living room and decided to try out his new skill on his own. Within two tries, he was standing up on his own. Once he realized he could stand up whenever he wanted (with no hands!) he magically acquired last little bit of confidence he needed to walk on his own. 10 minutes later, he was walking all over the house. I still can’t believe he figured it out that quickly. I could almost see the lightbulb turn on.

I managed to get a quick video about five minutes after he learned how to stand up:

On another note, he also discovered my eyelashes today. It’s a miracle my eyes are still in their sockets.

…that make my heart flutter. I don’t deserve these two.

Life seems extraordinarily busy these days, which often times for me means a very busy mind. A mind divided by work and family, projects and events, from what seems like morning to sundown. This month I have several side projects I’ve committed to doing in the web design front along with the full time job, a one year old son to run around with, and we’re in the midst of trying to purchase a small townhouse as an investment property in the local neighborhood which has meant paperwork and more time. Also dealing with some medical tests and trying to get a fun little flag football team together in the midst of it all…(Gotta have fun too right?)

Yet as the crazy cloud swirls about me I feel a deepening need to get back to the basics. I’ve come to realize there is no great nobility within busyness, activity, and the like. Though this culture would demand such from you or expect such from you, you can slow down. You have that ability. Jeremiah 10:23 has always been one of the passages of scripture that has gripped me. It reads “I know, O LORD, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.” This world is determined to facilitate a self-indulgent-self-centric-self-interested person in us, one that does not “settle” for anything but accomplishment and a driven nature to succeed by it’s own standards. At what point can we step back? At what point can we slow down? One has to pursue silence to find it, and within such focus upon the basics every once in awhile, to realize that the steps before you were placed there before you walked them. That God is in control and it is his causes, purposes, and glory that is to be pursued with the driven nature that cannot be satisfied in anything else, no matter how hard we try.

I’m so priveledged to have a little assistant to help me in my daily chores. Just look how he expertly folds the laundry…:

…and delivers it to it’s destination:

Caleb can now say, and use in the correct context, the word “no”

Lord help me.

I found Caleb climbing into his toy basket. Here’s the rest of the story:

He likes sharing his cheerios and germs.

Exactly one year ago, we met this little guy for the first time. That same little baby  has blossomed into a playful, spirited little man who is constantly winning the hearts of everyone he meets.

Yesterday was his birthday party and everyone who has been a part of his life came to celebrate his first year. There were lots of cake, piles of gifts, and about half of the graduating class of 2027. At the beginning, Caleb loved greeting his friends at the door (especially little Jason and Jersey girl). But then as the day wore on, he busied himself by defending his toys from baby invaders and watching the grown-ups play ping pong and basketball. He was kind of a grouch toward the end but this was due to a new birthday molar coming in (we didn’t find this out until today).

He loved opening his gifts (well, mostly just playing in the gift wrap):

The cake smash took a little getting used to:

He even showed off his new walking tricks:

I would defintely say the party was a fun success. By the end, Caleb was tuckered out and thankful for bed. This morning, we had our own little family birthday party and opened a his gifts from Mama and Dada.

Many people have asked Andy and me what it feels like to have a one year old. I don’t really know how to reply to that. I think Andy put it best: It feels like forever since I’ve been pregnant, but just yesterday since Caleb was born. This year has been full of  anticipation, miracles, utter exhaustion, smiles, little giggles, terror-filled hospital visits, sweet moments, exciting milestones, learning curves, baby boogies, and furry friends. I couldn’t have imagined when I was in the hospital about to deliver this little miracle, that my life would be full of so much joy, that Andy would come home and immediately run to his little boy and give him a big hug, that family gatherings would now consist of everyone in a circle around the living room watching two cousins play on the floor, or that my heart could even contain all of these emotions all at once. I don’t know what I did in my life to deserve such a wonderful little person. This is just a taste of God’s magnificent grace.

Happy birthday Caleb. You are a much-loved little boy.

I didn’t think we’d be able to see Santa this year. I wasn’t going within 50 feet of those atrocious, germ-infested lines at the mall. But fortunately, Andy’s mom had a Christmas party at her school where Mr. Kringle paid a visit. When we got to the party, Caleb wanted nothing to do with any non-famly member. Any stranger got the evil eye right away. Visions of a screaming, petrified child in santa’s lap were forming in my mind. I don’t know why, but I was so nervous to put him in that bearded man’s lap. I really didn’t want a scene. But I swallowed my apprehension and handed my wide-eyed son over to Santa.

At first, he stared at this man intently, I’m sure, looking for some sort of human under all that hair.

“He has a present, so he can’t be all that bad.”

Then, something amazing happend:

Santa got Caleb’s seal of approval!

Looks like this little boy is on Santa’s good list this year.

Here are a few other’s with cousin Kaiden, who wasn’t as fond of Santa

Afterwards, Caleb hung around the set trying to get Santa’s attention. He was really taken with him. All my worrying was in vain. Let’s hope next year is the same.

Photography by Chris Kwant, a very talented local wedding photographer.