Caleb is 11 months old - 1 more month to go!

The reality that Caleb is turning 1 in a month has definitely set in. We have sent out birthday invitations, and we are getting things together for his big day! But just this past month, I swear this boy has changed a ton, and he is learning and growing so much!

Baby Stats

 So a few weeks ago, this poor boy was very sick with a stomach virus and had lost 12 ounces since he weighed 19.1 pounds. I know that he has definitely gained it back because he just keeps eating and eating and eating. So I am assuming he is anywhere between 19 and 20 pounds. We will find out for sure in a month about how much he is gaining.

Hanging out with Mommy when he was sick. Oh this face gets me!

He is drinking 20-24 ounces of formula each day. This is exclusively given during the day. He is now off any nighttime feedings! Woohoo for Mommy! More sleep! This is definitely less than he had been drinking last month. Since at around a year, we pretty much eliminate formula completely, so we will have to ensure his food sources come from solids. And we have been practicing with the sippy cup, and he is doing better than he had. We found a better transitional sippy cup for him to use, and it seems to be working.

Caleb continues to eat a lot of table food and baby solids. He is pretty much telling us that he is no longer a fan of baby food (pureed stuff). So we are taking him away from that. He has 8 teeth for goodness sake. This boy can chew stuff pretty well! His favorite foods are applesauce (I know that it isn't chunky, but he loves the stuff), bananas (he will eat directly from the banana), and crackers! He also loves pasta, and whatever Mommy and Daddy are eating. We went to a restaurant fairly recently, and we ordered him food (mac and cheese, and some zucchini). His food tasted good to us, but he wanted whatever we had. So I gave him several bites of my Jambalaya and he loved it! Spice doesn't seem to bother this kid! He is all about it! So if we are eating it, he would rather eat that. And you can't eat something without him wanting to eat it, even if he just ate. He is a growing boy, and I am learning quite a bit about how much this boy loves to eat!

Sleep has been an issue because of him continously getting sick. When he is congested, I like to use the swing to prop him up, but then when he is all better, he doesn't want to be in his crib so much. Sooo....we tried propping up the bed with some blankets underneath it, and that didn't work. We tried making it a little cushier (we thought maybe he thought the bed was too hard), well that didn't work. And he can't sleep in his swing forever. He will have to be in his bed, so we attempted sleep training. And it works! It really does! It's hard to hear them cry, but it really only took him about 20 minutes before he settled down and slept like a champ! Unfortunately, he is sick again (congested with a runny nose), and so we had to resort to propping him up (if he has asthma like his Daddy did, we don't want it getting into his chest) again. But, since I know the sleep training works, I am not worried about whether he will sleep in his own bed again. Because he will. We just need a longer break between illnesses! I realize that babies in their first year or so get sick (especially with colds) between 8-12 times, but UGH. It sucks!

I mentioned above - He has 8 teeth! Two more showed up this past month! This kid has been teething since 4 months old! And he is still going. These next teeth, which have caused a lot more pain and lack of sleep, are his first molars! Ugh! Poor boy!

Caleb in the past week, has been attempting more walking on his own. Just last night, he walked about 6 or so steps before he falls on his bottom. But then he gets back up and tries again! So he is definitely walking more. I expect full blown walking will occur in the next few weeks. He is also walking along the walls...but he has gotten really fast at it! Plus, he is only holding one hand of ours versus two hands. I think that has inspired him to try walking on his own. He is building up confidence for sure.

He is a super fast crawler, and he plays games with me. He has this look he does before he crawls and he looks at me like he wants me to chase him. And then he takes off. So then I go and "chase" him, and he squeals and laughs as he crawls away from me. Cracks me up.

He loves to play Peek-A-Boo with me on his own. If I am sitting on the floor, he will come behind me and stand up, and smile. He wants me to say "Where's Caleb?" and then he peeks his head around and I say "Peek-A-Boo" and he laughs hysterically! I love that he loves to play games with us!

 When he gets excited, he almost does this panting-like squeal and jumps up and down! Doesn't take too much to excite this boy, whether it is food or playing with a toy truck and driving it up to him and saying "Beep! Beep!" He cracks us up all the time now. He is just so much fun to be around and loves to play and explore! I love his curiosity!

He has been "talking" a lot more this month too! Most of what he says is jabbering that I don't understand, but I love to listen to him. He really sounds like he is having a conversation with me! But a week ago or so, I was in the kitchen and I dropped something on the floor. I said "Uh-Oh" without even thinking about it. I hear Caleb crawling/walking along the walls over to me and he says "Uh-Oh!" and then laughs! It was soo cute. He imitated me! I also believe he is trying to say bottle. We try to talk to him with the correct language (and not baby language) so that he knows what things are all the time. And so when I am feeding him a bottle, I always say the word to him. Well this past week, I believe I heard him say "Ba Ba-Ul." That's what it sounded like to me. He says Mamama and Dada a lot, but I am not sure yet if he is talking about us yet or not. He also says NumNum for food. See - he loves his food! LOL! And while he doesn't say No, I believe he is learning that No means not to touch or do something. A few days ago, I told him No to something, and he started crying. I think he is learning what it means for sure!

This past month, he has really loved playing with doors. He loves to open and close doors all the time! He loves little doors, big doors, doesn't matter. He is all about opening and closing and opening and closing. This has definitely led to a few pinched fingers, but he is learning from it.

Already closing the door to his room to keep me out ;) LOL!

On Easter Sunday, Caleb played in a swing for the first time! He LOVED it! He smiled and smiled and laughed! It was so fun to see him love that! He also loves to get out on the grass and walk with us. He loves the feel of grass! It's the little things!

Easter Sunday - looking so cute!

 Easter Sunday - Playing in a swing for the first time!

Sadly, this boy keeps getting sick. I have read and heard from many mothers that this is common the first year. Sigh. He wasn't sick, except for Hand Foot and Mouth during the first 6 months of his life, but these past 5 months, he has gotten sick pretty much every month. :( But I am hoping that this just means that he will be golden once he goes to school! I just keep praying that for his birthday, he isn't sick!

Other than the fun experiences above, not much has been happening with us (thankfully!). Todd and I got the same stomach bug Caleb had a few weeks ago, but we didn't have it very long. Caleb had it for a week, which was very rough! Todd has been told that he will need a 5th surgery...yes I said number 5! But this is more to repair the muscle tendon near his elbow that is preventing him from moving his arm in a certain way, and will hopefully help with pain. Plus, while they are in there, they will remove the metal in his arm (which is likely the culprit of his infections). So that will be happening the week after Mother's Day! Coming up soon! But here's hoping this is the LAST ONE! :)

I can't believe the next time I post about Caleb's development, he will be ONE! My baby is becoming a toddler...ugh! Time has flown! But I plan on enjoying this month thoroughly!
Again thank you for the prayers and love, and I look forward to sharing more fun stories next month! I leave you with this adorable shot of my baby boy!

Caleb is 10 Months and other Family Updates

Caleb is 10 months old and starting the walking process!

 

Another month down, and now 10 months old! I don't even have the words! But here is what is happening withi Mr. Caleb:

Baby Stats

 Three weeks ago, he weighed in for his 9 month appointment at 19.1 pounds! I'm sure he weighs a bit more than that now, but man do my arms feel it! Such a big boy! He is also 28 inches long!

According to our 9 month appointment, they gave a test on his motor and social skills. This boy was at the top of the charts! He is pretty much excelling at all of the things they expect a 9 month old to do. Go Caleb!

He is wearing 12 and 12-18 month clothes exclusively now!

He eats about 24-28 ounces of formula each day. We are weaning him off the night time bottles since it is more out of comfort that he wants those bottles. We are also working on the sippy cup with him too!

Caleb continues to eat a lot of table food and baby solids. He is impressing us with how much he likes anything and everything. This past week, we ordered from the kids menu at a Mexican restaurant, and he ate the filling from his chicken taco, rice, and refried beans! He does so well! And it's funny, when I am eating cereal on the weekends, he crawls super fast to me and stands up with his cute face and almost begs me to have a piece of my cereal. LOL! Cracks me up. He's like a puppy in that regard.

Now that's a boy that likes his spaghetti!

Still teething...still only 6 teeth, but one of these days, I expect some more. His slobber has gotten crazy!

He sleeps from about 8:30-9 PM to around 7:30-8:30 AM. He takes less naps (1-2) a day.

Just two weeks ago, our boy stood on his own, and then just a week or so ago, he took his first steps to his grandparents without holding onto anything or anyone! He is definitely on his way! He uses the walls now to walk around the whole house. And he uses our hands to practice as well. I expect him to walk on his own probably this month at this rate. We shall see - and I'm not pressuring him to do it. I want him to do it when he is ready, but this boy is so independent already. He wants to do everything and has always seemed so independent at a very young age.

Standing on his own!

He now uses the wall to walk along it.

His love for reading has only expanded, and he loves to help turn the pages too! It's just so fun to watch his excitement and love to read already!

He had another cold this past week, which led to Mommy getting bronchitis. But, he seems to be doing better. I just didn't want another relapse from his RSV he had back in February. So thankful it doesn't appear to be the case.

He loves to climb on Mommy's lap and hold her hair when he is eating a bottle. Even if he is holding the bottle, he has to be holding Mommy's face or hair. It's too precious.

He loves to dance with Mommy. He will even shake his little bootie to dance some too!

We mentioned he stands on his own, and so since he learned that, he gets this super excited smile on his face, and almost jumps up (gets on his tippy toes) with excitement and squeals! He is so proud of himself too. You can see how much he loves learning a new thing!

He still loves people, and he is very flirtatious with women. He smiles and acts all bashful, but then gives them a little laugh or flirty smile. (I believe we have a little heartbreaker). But he has become a little more clingy (which I have read can happen). He needs a little more time to get used to a "new person" before he instantly plays with them or can be held by them. But after a few minutes, he warms up and forgets he was nervous at all.

 This upcoming month, we are sending out Caleb's 1st birthday invitations! Yes - that's what I said. Just two more months til our baby is 1! EEEK! I cannot believe it! Seriously! My baby boy is growing soo fast, and I don't know that I am ready. But ready or not, he is!

In other news - it's officially Spring! Yay! We are ready for the beautiful flowers, and taking Caleb to the park again! I look forward to finding an actual park that has swings and swinging him! I think he will love that! We just purchased a new to us, used car. It's a Toyota Carolla and so far, we really like it. This is replacing his Pontiac Aztek as it cannot function anymore. He got a good 10 years out of that car!

Todd had another surgery this past month to remove the antibiotic beads they put in his arm to remove that bad infection he has had for the past 3 months! Anytime they open him up, that leaves room for more infection. So we continue to pray that infection stays FAR away from him. So please continue to pray for Todd that the infection never returns. We are ready for good news, not more bad news. We just want to move forward and return to normal as soon as possible.

Commemorating 10 Years!

I believe most people know this, but I'm an engineer. I work in the environmental engineering field at CH2M HILL (I know it's a mouthful - but the name came from the initials of the founders back in the 1940's), and I have been working there officially 10 years! An entire decade! That's HUGE! And when I heard the statistic from our CEO that a majority of the 25,000 employees in the company have been with the company for less than 5 years, that made me feel old! But it also made me realize just how long 10 years is! So much has happened in my personal life in 10 years (dated Todd again, got married, started our family, etc), and then I think of all that has happened while working there. 

I was a very nervous girl when I started. You see, I had worked at a small environmental company in New Jersey for a year and a half right out of college. The company had me start as a project manager right out of college (the word for that is stupid). I worked with all guys (except for our adminstrative assistant), and that wasn't what bothered me. What bothered me there was the jerky attitude these men had. What bothered me was the way they talked about women, especially their own wives. The way they made fun of Ohio, when they have nothing to be all that proud about with New Jersey. I mean seriously - New Jersey is the arm pit of Amercia. I know - I worked there! I know way too much about the environmental problems in that state. But anways, I digress...I hated my job. I hated being pushed into a position I wasn't trained for, I hated working with men who couldn't care less about me, I hated the egotistical attitude they all seemed to have, I hated that they had such low standards for safety (seriously, their safety message to me when I was told to go into the worst part of Newark, NJ was: "If you hear gunshots, DUCK!" So stupid!

I cried most days I went into work. I was quite unhappy there. I only worked on one engineering project the entire time I was there, and there wasn't too much engineering involved in it. The only thing I liked about living there was my church. I had good friends there.

But - then the day came when I was fired. They blatantly treated me differently and fired me because of it. My boss at the time told me that I would never make it in an engineering firm when I left. And instead of taking those words and letting those words destroy me, I really felt fired up! NO ONE tells me I can't do something. I hated that he was trying to demoralize me. But you know what - I listened to God. I knew that he was wrong for saying that. I knew God was doing something, but I wasn't sure what. So I spent 3 months finding a job. And then I found CH2M HILL back in Ohio.

I remember when I was really young, I always thought it would be cool to work in a downtown environment and work in a building that has revolving doors. Ha ha! Well my building is downtown Dayton and they have revolving doors! Funny isn't it?!

 

This company had a pretty good mix of women and men, and it would actually involve engineering! I started with a little hesitancy because I wasn't sure if I would survive. But every year I was there, I learned more, I developed more as a person and engineer, and I became a stronger person. I also eventually became a leader in the Dayton office for junior staff and I co-started a program called JuMP for the entire CH2M HILL environmental business group. I went from scared girl to a confident woman. I'm not saying I don't have a lot to learn still (I would be a fool to think that), but I have history with this company and I have done a lot of good work (their words, not mine). I appreciate them giving this girl a second chance. I appreciate them taking time to teach me to become a leader. I appreciate them wanting to invest in my career and wanting me to succeed.

Every company has issues, and mine is no exception, but I am incredibly grateful for these past 10 years. I really am a different person than I was when I started. And so much of that is because of CH2M HILL.

(Funny side note: I heard about a year later after leaving my former company, that the guy who fired me, was later found out to have stolen company information to form his own company. This guy was quite a hypocrite and had no ethics - yet he had the nerve to say I wouldn't make it?! It's nice when you know that you don't have to get even. I believe that when lies and lack of integrity are involved, you will always be found out.)

So today - today I celebrate 10 years! How many people can say that they have been anywhere that long?! And according to that former employer, I wasn't supposed to have made it this long. But - I give much of that credit to God. He believed in me and made it possible for me to work here.He believed anything was possible!  He knew I would do it. And so did they! I have mentors that knew. So thank you, CH2M HILL. Thank you for 10 years! Thank you God for helping me grow here! And here's to many more....

Where My Trust is Without Borders

This is a very vulnerable post. It shows the deepest feeling and thoughts I have on my own faith. But, yet, you ever just feel God is telling you to share something? Well, I think He wanted me to share my broken heart and my real faith in Christ. I think Christians put this air out to the world as if everything is fine or even act like they know everything or are better than others. This isn't that kind of post. I promise. This is full of deep truths...my truths!

Have you heard this song shown above? It's "Oceans" by Hillsong UNITED.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoZE2RsthRg

I have a love/hate relationship with this song. While I love the music and the words are very trusting, the words are my biggest fear! In fact, when I first heard the words shown above "Spirit, Lead Me where my trust is without borders." I froze. Do I really want to sing that? Do I really want to say that? Because that could mean God will test me in that. And it scared me. I heard this song early last year and I would refuse to sing it because I wasn't sure that I was ready for a relationship with God that would make me trust without any borders. Yes - I said it. This girl still wants to control everything she can. As if I can. But still - I wasn't sure I wanted that deep of a relationship with God. It hurts to say and I wince at the thought. But it's the truth. I felt like we had enough drama and pain in our lives already when I heard this song, and I didn't want to find out what "trust without borders" would mean. I was more scared of what things would happen to my family than anything else. I wanted a great relationship with my Savior, one that wasn't mediocre, but I was also afraid.

So then jump to November 22nd when my husband fell and broke his elbow in as the Doctor's said "the worst way possible." Prior to that accident, our lives were busy as it was. We were learning this whole new parent role and also working. We had enough on our plate, and our marriage was also having some issues. I think anytime you become a new parent, it can take a hit on the marriage too because you have to learn so many newer things and yet maintain your marriage. Life got really hard, and we would argue over dumb stuff. I felt like we weren't communicating very well. And then his accident...

Not only could my husband not use his right arm, he was on medication and literally couldn't even try to help me with Caleb. Being a new parent is hard enough as it is, let alone, with a husband who needed surgery and would be out of commission for how long? As we found out, it would be longer than we expected. He has had two infections that caused him to have two other additional surgeries. So for three months, before Todd returned to work, I had to literally do it all. I was happy to help at first. After all, I love to help my family and do what I can. But over time, and after things weren't improving with his arm (the infection being the culprit), I was tired of doing it all. I found myself being snippy with Todd a lot more, and even blaming him for his fall. It's not like he wanted to fall. It's not like being on short term disability is a vacation really. I can attest to him being BORED! What a horrible attitude I had. I acted in such a horrible way to him. I am quite ashamed of this fact.

And as if Todd's pain and the exhaustion I was feeling wasn't enough - the medical bills! Can I just say how scary that is! Not knowing what kind of costs are involved, what insurance will cover, what they won't, etc. I was petrified. And then Caleb got RSV. And a trip to the hospital that led to him being admitted. Can I just say, I had no idea what to think. I found myself more alone than ever before. I was scared for son's health of course, but I also kept thinking...more medical bills? How are we going to withstand this? And now, we have to have a car payment because Todd's car bit the dust. So on top of medical bills, we now have a car payment. And with Todd on short term disability, we also had less pay because short term with his company covers only 75%. So again - where is the money going to come from?

And during the past 3 months, I have heard this song almost every single day. I actually believe God was calling me to have this kind of relationship. I actually believe He had been telling me that He wanted to have a relationship with me where He wanted me to trust Him NO MATTER WHAT! No borders! None of my "Well, I trust you with this and this...but not this."  We talk about being faithful to God and trusting Him in every situation, but when the time comes, you will encounter something in your life that tests you more than ever before. And I knew when I first heard this song, that somehow down the line, I would be tested. Would I trust in God NO MATTER WHAT?!

So where are we now? We have a lot of medical bills! We have a car payment! And it feels like NOTHING else can happen. I do a lot of "fearful" praying. What I mean by that is - "Oh God, please not one more thing."

And I really do feel that way. Not one more thing. But will there be one more thing - I don't know. I pray everyday that there isn't. BUT - I need to trust that God is going to provide even if there is one more thing.

But then I think of the good we have: We were able to survive 3 months on 75% of Todd's paycheck. Todd received a bonus at Christmas time. Todd received a wonderful raise at the beginning of this year (and he wasn't even working). My husband's arm is starting to heal and so far, no more infections. Our little boy is healthy and doing just fine. Our marriage has been improving on communication, and I believe there is more appreciation and love for each other than ever before. Because Todd wasn't working, we could witness Caleb crawling and standing up together, which wouldn't have happened during our normal schedules. God gave me more strength than I ever had before to take care of both Caleb and Todd. He has somehow provided the funds to pay for more daycare. God is present in our lives and while I still have my fearful tendencies, I have been praying that when that comes on, I pray that I have peace. I believe God is molding this awful situation into something for His glory. I just don't know all that this will look like. Maybe in the next few months, I will see more clearly.

I am also learning that He also provides when you need it, not when you think you need it. That verse where it says to "lean not on your own understanding" - yeah, these 4 months have been a lesson in leaning on God and not on what I see. I don't see how things are going to work, and yet God is helping us through it.

So when I ask for prayers, I ask for them for the healing of course, and the help we need (healing and financial help). But, also for me to be a different woman than I was. I ask for the prayers to become a woman that doesn't even question if God is in control anymore. Real faith - this is hard, knitty gritty stuff! It's hard! God didn't say life would be easy. He knew it would be hard, but He is with us.

I am not anywhere near the faith of a person that "trusts without borders." I still get a sick feeling in my stomach when bad stuff happens. Just being honest. I think of people like Paul in the Bible, and I am amazed at his strength and faith in Christ. But then I am reminded of where he came from. He used to kill Christians. He used to mock them and torture them. And through a long arduous journey (literally and figuratively) after being transformed, he became a man that trusted God without borders. So it's a journey. And sometimes it's a long journey. But then I think of the verse that says "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6. So I guess He is going to continue to mold me...I am a work in progress!

We really want you all to know that we appreciate your prayers, love and support! We appreciate them deeply! We still need them! We would like to return to a life that even seems boring. It would be nice to have some boring time! LOL! But we truly do appreciate you! Thank you for being faithful to God and being a blessing to us by praying! And for those that send encouraging words, thank you for that as well. God knows we need that encouragement. So thank you! We do love and appreciate you too!

When life gets busy, Caleb grows up and is 9 months old!!

9 months old!

This month has been a blur! So much has happened! But in fun news, our sweet Caleb is 9 months old! He is growing up soo fast and we couldn't be prouder! Can't believe he will be one year in just 3 months time! WOW!

Baby Stats

Just a week ago, he was weighed and he was around 18 pounds! He is approximately 28.5 inches long now too! We believe his body type is very similar to his Daddy's growing up. Todd was long and lean growing up and this boy is appearing to be the very same way. He is healthy though and that's most important.

He is growing out of anything 9 months (only has a couple things he can wear that are 9 months), and he is mostly in 12 months or 12-18 month clothes!

He currently eats 5-6 oz of soy formula during the day (every 4 hours), and will eat 7-8 ounces of food twice at night (once before bed, and once around 3-4 AM).

Caleb has been eating more "table" foods that we have like mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, spaghetti, bread, crackers, fruits and vegetables, etc. We have some baby food jars too, but it's been fun and convenient to share our food with him since he can chew it. He seems to prefer whatever we are eating anyways.

He is teething again! He already has 6 as I mentioned, but I envision another two coming very soon (on the bottom). I might be wrong, but that's how it feels.

He still sleeps from about 8-8:30 PM to around 7:30-8:30 AM. He takes less naps (1-2) a day.

Our sweetie talks a lot and says Da Da Da and Ma Ma Ma. He also still say Nna Nna for food. He is trying to tell us stuff all the time, and we let him try.

Caleb shows us lots of love! He has given us kisses and hugs before, but I think he is doing it more and more. Nothing warms the heart more than when he leans in and gives me one of his baby kisses and gives me a hug! My heart just bursts!

We are working with Caleb by pointing to various things/people and emphazing what those things are, like ball, food, bottle, Momma, Dadda, etc.

Caleb does this little noise when he is concentrating hard on something. It sounds like he is sounding out the T sound and whispering it. It's too cute. I love the little quirks our guy has! So fun!

 Caleb crawls a ton and has crawled all over the house! He is climbing on everything (even when we say no). He wants to see everything and doesn't think we should keep him from doing that (even though it's a place he shouldn't climb). He is incredibly mobile and walks around the ottoman with his hand on it so he can get places by being up (not just crawling). I really see him attempting to walk in the next month or so. I won't be surprised if he is walking by his first birthday!

Crawling all over the place!

 

He loves this toy fire truck that pops out balls and moves on its own.

He will crawl after it all over the house!

 

Climbing everything like crazy!

He is such a daredevil! He will climb his rocking chair at my dismay!

Caleb recently had RSV! It's a glorified cold for adults, but can be very bad for little ones and their lungs. Caleb was wheezing and really seemed to work too hard to breathe. So we tried to take him to the Dr, but they were booked. They recommended we take him to Children's Hospital in Dayton. So I took him to the ER, and they were very convinced that he needed to be admitted because his oxygen levels were in the 80 percents. Your breathing should be in the high 90 percents though. So they admitted him and had him wear an oxygen tube that hooked into his nose. They also had him on an IV to ensure enough fluids. I swear, there is nothing scarier than watching your little baby scream and cry because they are so scared and don't understand what is happening to them. I stayed with him overnight, and he was improving quite a bit. Just within a matter of 12-15 hours, he improved greatly! Some kids don't improve as fast, and so we feel thankful that he did. He was released the following day and everyone was really proud of his improvement. Our Caleb is a fighter man! He is so strong! So proud of him!

We were happy to have him home on Valentines Day. We didn't have a very romantic Valentines Day this year, but this year we celebrated with the product of our love - Caleb! He is a sweet, wonderful little boy and we are so thankful for him! Todd and I still gave each other Valentines we made each other (see photos below). Todd wrote me a beautiful love letter. To those who don't know, my husband has been writing me love letters since we met back in 1995! He is so eloquent and so sweet!! I did something a little different and fun!

Valentines Day - Caleb is reading to his new Valentine Bear

from his Valentines Day Curious George book

Todd picked out the most lovely red roses (my fave)

and wrote me a beautiful love letter

The fun and "sweet" card that Caleb and I made Todd!

Todd also had a third surgery the week prior to Caleb getting RSV, as he had a 2nd infection. Turns out he had community based MRSA! YIKES! That's why it didn't go away the first time he had the infection. So during this 3rd surgery, the Dr put in this cement/bead antibiotic mixture into this elbow that stays there releasing the antibiotic medication over the course of 5-6 weeks. He also had an IV during surgery of antibiotics and he is taking two pill forms of antibiotics for the next 5-6 weeks. The Dr. is pretty convinced this should eliminate any return of the infection. When he did the surgery, he also removed the infection by scraping it out. So our prayers every week are to have no sign of any infection because we want to Todd to be able to return to normal operations of his arm as soon as possible. Fortunately even with this splint that he is wearing, he is returning to work this week! So that is going to be helpful to give us some normalization again!

It also looks like this upcoming month, we will be making our first car purchase as a couple! We each brough our own cars to the marriage, but now Todd's car needs replaced. So we are working on finding a reliable used car.

So it's been a very busy month, full of fun and crazy excitement (good and not good). But we ask as we continue this next month, if you would continue to pray that the infection stays away from Todd and that we have wisdom in all of our decisions! Thank you!! Much love!

And I leave you with this precious smile that melts hearts!

As I Lay Here....

As I lay here holding you as you finish eating
Holding my hair tight as you finish your last sip of your bottle
And your Daddy is sleeping to my right
I marvel at how serene and quiet it is at 3 AM
And how the best part of life is here in this bed

Your breath on my face as you fall asleep
I touch your cheek and brush your hair back out of your face
I hear you sigh deep and long
I know you are deep in sleep and happy as can be
I run my hands on your cute little feet. I touch each toe

It's such a perfect moment
I can't help but remember the night you were born
How you would only stop crying when placed on my chest
How you needed my heart beat to calm down
First time in my life I have felt so needed

I think back on our first few nights
and how I was so scared
and I really didn't do a very good job with you
I remember getting so upset since I was so sleep deprived, and
because I didn't know how to handle your crying

But just a few weeks later, you and I were bonding like no other
You and I were having fun together
We went to the park almost every week
and you loved to stare up at the trees and hear the birds
You smiled all the time, and it was all for me!

You still smile at me, when you first wake up
when you see me as I pick you up from the babysitter
You smile at me when I make a funny noise
You smile when I sing to you
or even just when I look at you.

You have a smile that melts hearts everywhere
We go out to dinner and people have to stop by to say "Hi"
Or we are at the grocery store, and people just want to talk to you
Your giggle is the sweetest sound in the world
And it has quite literally made me bawl with pride

I love the curiosity you have as you want to explore everything
Even before you could crawl around the house
You explored everything with your eyes
You have learned so much in so little time
and I am so proud of you, little man!

You continue to amaze me as I stare at you
You are so smart, so strong, and so incredibly special
My heart is insanely full with you in my life
I can't imagine this world without you in it
and no world without you is worth it

You are the sunshine of my life, dear son
I love how proud you are when you learn something new
and how you look at us to make sure we see you
Dear boy, we are proud of you no matter what
Just you being in our lives is enough pride, filling my heart to overflow

I love you, my darling Caleb
I promise it is unconditional and full of hope and promise
and as I sit here holding you as you sleep
as you fall into your precious dreams
I know that my biggest dream was when you came into my world

 ~ S. Taber

 

 

We have an active and mobile 8 month old!

I know I say this every month, but seriously, where did the time go? I blinked after he turned 7 months, and now he is 8 months! He is growing up so, so fast!!

Baby Stats

Haven't weighed him recently, but I'm guessing he's around 17-18 lbs now. He's definitely gaining weight as his clothes are getting tighter and tighter. :)

He is still wearing some 6-9 month clothes, but he is growing out of those now and is wearing a lot more 6-12 months clothes too.

He currently eats 5-6 oz of soy formula during the day (every 4 hours), and will eat 7-8 ounces of food twice at night (once before bed, and once around 3-4 AM).

We introduced dairy to Caleb this month (cottage cheese and yogurt). He is a big fan! He still loves his veggies and fruit too! We also gave him some pureed turkey (and that was a big FAT NO!). Oh the face he gave was priceless, and then he started crying. I wasn't going to torture the kid. So then we tried a mixture of chicken and sweet potatoes and he liked that MUCH better. We are aiming for some bigger chunks of food this next month to get him to use those teeth and used to other textures, etc.

The boy now has 6 teeth! Say what?! You get 20 teeth up through turning 3 years old, and this boy has almost 1/3 of his teeth! I was shocked!

He still sleeps from about 8-8:30 PM to around 7:30-8:30 AM. Since he was sick, he has had a harder time getting used to being back in his bed, though he is doing better. I also think he gets separation anxiety sometimes. But we're getting through that. It's hard to know though...because sometimes it is teething too! He may wake up as little as once during the night, and as much as 3-4 times. But for now, he's not teething and he's not sick! So that's good!

OH boy does our boy talk like crazy! :) He says Nna Nna a lot now for food...and we know that means food. It happens everytime he knows it is time to eat! We think that he says that because everytime I would feed him, I would say "Num Num!" And so we think that is where he is getting that! Such a smart boy! He also says Da Da a lot! I mean a lot! We don't know that he is associating Todd with Da Da, but he is definitely saying it! He also has said Ma Ma once (I think).

He does a lot of jumping and babbling...even if he is just sitting on your lap. He is sooo active! He will jump and jump and jump! All by himself.

He has started to crawl and starting to climb up on things and standing! Yes - it's true! He took his first crawl step this past Friday! And just yesterday, he crawled 2-3 crawl steps to me! He also crawls backwards too! He gets up on his knees and moves his body front to back like he is ready to go! It's soo cute! It's sooo amazing to watch him learn these things. He is also climbing up on furniture. In fact, this week, he climbed our ottoman and stood up! What's so cute is that everytime he tried to do that, he would look over at me to make sure I was watching him! So cute, and I'm so proud! And also scared because that means baby-proofing. We used to be able to put him down to play and walk to the kitchen to grab something and know he was okay. Now, he could get into some trouble! LOL! So he is definitely MUCH more mobile than just a month ago!

Cutie pie crawling...

Crawling

 

Standing up! 

 

He is so smart...he knows when I say "give me Mommy kisses" and he opens that mouth to give me kisses. He is learning so much everyday, I am having a hard time keeping up with him! :) He has figured out more of his toys and how to make the beads in his bead maze go from one end to the next. He used to "eat" the books when I would try to read to him, but now he sits like a big boy next to me and listens to me read and looks at all of the pictures so intently. I love it! I hope he always loves books!

Music - Not sure if I have mentioned this or not, but this guy loves music! He will hear a theme song to a TV show, and he will stop to listen. He will stop everything to listen to us sing Jesus Loves Me to him or really any song. He loves singing! I think that's because I sang to him a lot when he was inside me during my pregnancy. But he definitely loves music!

Random but cute - He loves Jeopardy (the show)! If it is on, he will sit there and listen to intently. Sometimes he will yell out something as if he knows the answer! It's too cute!

 I love feeding him. He does this thing where he has to hold my face or a piece of my hair when he is eating from the bottle. I think that is a security thing, but it's so precious!

We rang in the New Year as a family because Todd had a second surgery two days before New Years! This surgery was to remove an infection he had gotten on a small part of his elbow. But since then, he appears to be healing really well. He hasn't been told to start therapy exercises yet, but they just want to make sure the incisions heal well. I hope here in the next week or so that he will be able to start working on his arm. We just want to return to normal again. So your continued prayers for Todd are appreciated.

So even though we didn't get to spend New Years with all of our friends, we still had a nice cozy New Years as a family. My favorite photos are shown below from New Years:

Other than that, this month has been low key. We have spent a lot of time together indoors because of the cold temperatures and ice. Makes me long for spring actually because I can't wait to take Caleb to the park again (since he will be much older since the last time) and we can put him into the park baby swing! Or even just out to see trees (which he loves)! He is such a curious boy that I know the park will be so much fun to him again! And he will be mobile, so his curiosity is going to be even more! But until then, I look forward to watching Caleb learn more and more new things! It is such an amazing thing to watch him learn! So awesome!

Life has been tough, and Todd may have ANOTHER surgery. But we are thankful for all God has been doing in our lives. Even if it is just the simple reminders of faith that we see in our child. I wish my husband was doing even better than he is or able to go to work or able to pick up Caleb and change a diaper, etc, but he will get there. I wish that we didn't have to deal with Doctor's bills, but God will provide. I wish that our cars weren't so old and, but God has allowed them to work this long, and He will continue to provide their functionality. We don't have answers for all the challenges that we have been dealing with, but we know the One who does. Maybe Todd's fall was a chance for us to come together as a family and hold tightly to God even more than before. Maybe this is a way to strengthen our faith in Him? I don't know. But it's true in the sense that we are leaning on God more and more each day, and each day, God gives us reasons to be thankful!

We appreciate your love and continued prayers for Todd's recovery. We really do. And if you could pray for us this next week especially, we would greatly appreciate it! Thank you! We appreciate having that support behind us!

Much love!
The Tabers