Team Snyder

19 months

2012-01-25T12:36:00.000-08:00

Here are my sweet boys at 19 months. Kieran loves to wear glasses or hats or masks, you name it. He loves climbing and climbing and climbing til I nearly go crazy! Caleb didn't cause me this much stress from what I can remember. You would think a few falls would teach him a lesson, but he keeps climbing and I keep saving or removing chairs! Once he figures how to get out of his crib, I am in trouble! The boys continue to love each other to pieces. Playing together can be hard because Kieran is also known as "Captain Destructo!" and can ruin just about anything Caleb is playing with. Seeing them give each other hugs and holding hands in the back seat while driving somewhere warms the heart. This love hopefully will continue many years down the road. Kieran is talking up a storm, nearly repeating everything I say. He loves to dance and sing Old MacDonald, E-I-E-I-O, ride on Seaby Dog like a horse and jump on the bed with his brother. We recently started the token system with Caleb so we can work on managing better behaviors like picking up toys, getting dressed with no hassle, no whining, sharing, etc. A few days into it already and he is doing great. He is not too fond of school lately which is a bummer because he does not realize he has about 14 years left to go!

Here is Caleb enjoying an enormous taco. One of his favorite foods. I can hardly believe he ate the entire thing! The boys are enjoying the first snowfall of the season...finally!

Christmas & The New Year

2012-01-01T19:16:00.000-08:00

Kieran just turned a year and a half which I can hardly believe. He certainly loves the adventure of climbing onto our table. At least he is not sitting on top of it all of the time, mostly just standing in the chair playing with toys, still putting both Kerry and I on edge as he smiles with joy like nothing is a concern. We have pinned him as a "momma's boy" always clinging to me for "hugs." Hearing that precious word from his mouth, who can resist? He loves to eat and just when he says, "All done" and gets down from his seat, he is right next to you begging from your plate. He is very polite, saying "Thank you" when handing you things or getting something. His "brutha" still lights up his face in the morning, sometimes he can hardly wait to see him, he has to go in and sneak a peak at Caleb sleeping. Caleb often calls him the "cutest baby or best baby". It warms the heart to see the affection and love they have for one another, something I hope they hold onto for years to come.

We headed out to AZ for Christmas to spend a week at Nana & Papa's. Kieran is a little bit of a nightmare on the plane, but at least his slept the last hour of the flight. Caleb adores Nana & Papa and we often feel regret for moving so far from family, but distance makes the heart grow fonder right? Some day we will be closer, should the Lord lead us, but for now we love our home in Indiana. I missed the beauty of it while in AZ. At least we could play outside and enjoy the warm, winter weather. Christmas Eve came and Kieran came down with a bug. He was feverish and whiny, waking up at 3:30am covered in puke. The poor little guy missed the joy of Christmas morning, but Caleb was a delight. He was so excited to see the cookies had been eaten and was amazed at the gifts under the tree. I guess Chippey, our Elf on the Shelf had a good report for Santa! Thankfully Kieran was almost back to normal prior to our flight home and he was a delight for the most part thankfully for Mommy and Daddy! When we got home, Caleb couldn't believe there were more packages under the tree, so we had our Christmas together. Kerry had the rest of the week off which has been nice for us to spend extra time together as a family.

The night before New Year's Eve, Caleb woke up hysterical complaining of stomach pains. Another holiday, another bug! He has been feverish and couch bound for the past few days, so we are hoping and praying he recovers or we may take a trip to the hospital to double check its not more than a bug. I promised Kerry I would stay up for New Year's, which I did and then hit the pillow at 12:01am sleeping next to my sick boy.

Kerry suggested making a memory jar for 2012. Write down memories throughout the year to share next New Year's Eve. This is a great idea because I sometimes forget to jot every fond memory down. I can hardly wait to see what the New Year brings. I am thankful for my healthy family and for dear friends who have been constant in our lives. I am thankful for a God who loves us unconditionally and who has purpose for every circumstance we face. I am thankful for another year I get to share with them all.

Happy Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-28T12:22:00.001-08:00

One of my dearest friends asked me to stand beside her on her wedding day which was November 19th. This was perfect because we planned to travel to California for Thanksgiving with my family so I flew out with the boys a bit early to attend the wedding in San Ramon, about 1.5 hours from Sacramento. Thankfully my sister and Dad graciously watched the boys for 2 days while I was driving back and forth. My friend planned for an outdoor wedding and the rain was falling off and on all day prior, but to her desire and God's faithfulness, He provided sunshine for her big day! Sun or no sun, it was still about 50 degrees and we were wearing summer dresses. Brrrrrrrr. I was shivering a good chunk of the ceremony, but it was lovely and turned into a beautiful day. I was honored to be there as she stood beside me 10 years ago on my big day. True friends are hard to find.

Kerry was supposed to fly in Saturday night but he forgot about the knife in his backpack he confiscated at a retreat the weekend prior and so he got held up in security and missed his flight. Luckily his brother lives in Denver and kept him overnight. We spent a good week with the family, visiting Old Sac, the Railroad Museum, Zoo and most importantly, Ikea and In n Out Burger. We got to meet up with old college friends and their kids at Chuck E Cheese in Modesto, as well as a lobster feast with family and friends. Caleb had no issue chowing that down all by himself! My goodness!

Thanksgiving was a relaxing day of being with family and eating yummy food prepared by my sister. She is quite the hostess and prepared a lovely feast. Kieran got his turn at dressing up as the Turkey! The boys got to spend some time with their cousin Elizabeth, Grampy Bob, Gran, Aunt Lindsay and Uncle Dave, whom we get to see twice a year. Being apart is tough because I feel like a stranger to my niece and I want my boys to know my family as well as they know Kerry's, but distance is hard. Some day, we will be close again.

Friday we headed home and I was shocked to see the airport pretty quiet on one of the busiest travel days. The boys did great on the way home and we got to see Uncle Derek on our layover in Denver which was a nice treat. The boys were still wide awake and ready to play once we got home, they were so excited to see some familiar territory I think and Seaby dog!

16 months!

2011-10-20T12:06:00.000-07:00

This past month Kieran began walking and I just love to hear his footsteps coming down the hall. He is still quite the peanut for his age supposedly, but he appetite would say otherwise. I guess he got my metabolism! He still loves to throw food he doesn't like, let Seaby lick his fingers while eating and also place food on top of his head. It is hard not to laugh at this, but its so cute. He also likes to smear ketchup all over and then wipe his hands in his hair. This is my favorite especially if he had a bath earlier that day.

He loves to copy his brother. He is starting to call him Bubba which is very cute. He is already making his gun shooting noises too. Just the other day he is walking down the hall with a foam sword saying "shoo shoo" or just imagine what a shooting noise sounds like! Caleb does like to be in control and often pushes Kieran aside when he wants something he has. He also likes his space too, which is hard to manage with Kieran on the go wanting to be everywhere his brother is. Kieran even likes to wake up Caleb, he can hardly wait to see his brother in the morning and will sometimes walk in and screech loudly to do so, but I try my best to let him wake on his own.

He is using so many words now, copying things we say. Kerry was whispering "Cupcake" loudly with the boys and Kieran would repeat it back in the same tone. Hilarious! He just said Pablo today for the Backyardigans. Our favorite is "hotdog". He loves them and we love to hear him say it! Really, can he get any cuter? He still uses a lot of screeches and eeeeeeeeeee! when he wants something, but eventually the words will roll out.

This past month we rewarded Caleb with a trip to Chuck E Cheese for having 5 dry nights in a row. CEC is his potty training reward place and our next goal is for 10 days in a row. Its funny that he hasn't been dry since going. Oh, the joys of potty training!

We also celebrated my 34th birthday this month. I can hardly believe I am that elderly. Caleb and Kieran had a blast watching the cook at Benihana and Caleb even asked to have his birthday there next year. We shall see!

The Big Apple!

2011-09-29T17:00:00.000-07:00

Kerry and I just celebrated our decade of marriage by taking a little getaway to NYC this past weekend. We jumped on a plane shortly after Caleb's 4th birthday party and left the boys behind with Nana & Papa for 3 days. Just a short plane ride to JFK and as we were leaving the airport, I saw what I believe to be was Regin Philbin's driver. His sign read R. Philbin. I just assumed and it excited me. My first star siting possibly? I kinda wanted to wait around, but kept walking. We grabbed our first NYC cab and let me just say that NYC cab drivers believe they are invincible. It was somewhat magical this experience, yet I was also hoping that we would make it alive into the city! We actually rented an apartment from a complete stranger using www.airbnb.com. Kerry found it and we researched the site and many options to find one located near Hells Kitchen. The gal met us at her apartment, gave us a run down of the small quarters and said goodbye. We were then off to find some dinner. We got carried away just walking around town and probably did so for about an hour before landing at a little Italian spot called Mario's Trattoria. It was a good find and surprisingly not expensive.

Sunday I wanted to grab breakfast at Dean & Deluca. The place of employment for Felicity, one of my favorite shows in college. I have to admit I got a little giddy sitting there! We then headed over to Times Square to pick up our NY City & Hop on Hop off passes. Times Square is like nothing you have ever seen before. It somewhat reminded me of Vegas, but not quite. Advertising galore, people, Broadway shows, people, restaurants, people, shopping, people, plenty of street vendors, people, a 4 story Walgreens and ToysRus to name a few. Did I mention people? Yikes. We got on our first Hop on Bus and headed over to Empire State Building. All of these sites we visited were part of our pass, so it totally was worth the cost rather than pay for everything on its own. This offered an amazing view! Of course, I had Sleepless in Seattle flashbacks that I kind of wanted to recreate, but Kerry said no. We walked over to the 9/11 Memorial Site, but didn't have an opportunity to see it. It was not part of our pass, but we got to see WTC1 in current construction. Once finished, it will be the tallest building in US. We saw some memorials around the area which is always neat to see. We decided to attempt Statue of Liberty which included a nice ferry ride over the Hudson. It was pretty muggy in the city, so a nice breezy ride was totally necessary at this point! Lady liberty was gorgeous, especially up close. Once off the boat, we headed back up to Times Square to visit Madame Tussauds wax museum. Now, we probably wouldn't have stopped here had we not had the pass. Wax, lifelike figures of your favorite stars and sports figures. We snapped some pics with our faves and headed back to Hell's Kitchen to meet up with an old friend from AZ who had recently moved to NY. We ate at 5 Napkin Burger and then visited a speakeasy bar that was featured on Drinking Made Easy called Just don't tell. The entrance is through a phone booth in a hotdog shop. Its rather funny to watch people watch you enter this bar because its not well known in the city, its somewhat secretive. We had a few drinks and called it a night.

Monday was our last full day in NY, so we grabbed the Hop On Bus and drove around the city, down to Central Park. Its neat to hear all of the history from these tour guides, facts I did not know about before visiting, like how John Lennon was shot for example. We did not see a ton of Central Park, but it was gorgeous. So lush and green. Its weird to look down from the Empire State Building and just see this block of green amongst all of these skyscrapers. We hopped back on the bus and hopped off at St John Cathedral of the Divine. Breathtaking to say the least. Walking through I felt like I was at the royal wedding. It was spectacular. The architecture is outstanding. We grabbed a late breakfast across the street and demolished some tasty crepes before hopping back on the bus over towards 30 Rock. We had a NBC studio tour which was pretty cool, got to see Brian Williams NBC newsroom, Dr. Oz set and SNL. We grabbed a quick lunch at an amazing sandwich shop called wichCraft and wichCraft it was. I just found out Tom Colicchio from Top Chef is the founder of this tasty shop. Makes more sense now. Simply delicious. Kerry and I couldn't stop eating them, they were so good, probably the best we ever had. Kerry went as far to say it was better than In n Out. What? We then checked in for our grand finale in NYC, a taping of the Jimmy Fallon show. It was so much fun!!!!!! The set appears so much bigger on TV, but they manage to fit a few hundred in that audience or so it felt waiting to go through security! Elmo was a guest and the audience got the new Rock N Roll Elmo's! Woohoo! Andy Samburg, drummer from Pink Floyd and the Shins were on the show. It was very cool to see. We walked right out of there and over to Fedex to mail those home. Walking around the city with those would have been a nightmare and there is no way we would have got them on the plane either. Smart thinking Snyders. We were famished and just kept walking around the city hoping to land on a good spot. I wanted Chinese and Kerry did not. We kept walking and walking and walking til finally crossing paths with an Asian Fusion restaurant so we had a seat. Turned out to be quite decent. Kerry ordered some duck and I picked a wrong dish, but it was still satisfying. After dinner we continued to walk. I wanted to enjoy some gelato, but it seems when you want something, you cannot find it. I mean, how many blocks did we walk and not come across any gelato? I see it all day long, but not at night? We ended up getting PinkBerry which was very tasty anyway and headed home.

Tuesday was our last morning, so we headed over to 30 Rock to pick up our Late Night with Jimmy t-shirts (the shop was closed after show) and finished our souvenir shopping. We caught a taxi and headed back home. If you are looking to relax, this is not the place to vacation. I love to walk and I didn't realize how much it would exhaust me day after day. You just have so much to see, that you never want to stop. One thing I didn't expect about NYC is that I never thought I would feel like a foreigner in my own country. We did not hear much English outside of tour guides and employees of attractions. Not once did we ever find an American to snap our photo. We loved it and can't wait to visit again someday.

Caleb is 4!

2011-09-29T13:59:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Caleb's 4th birthday this past weekend at Ben & Ari's, a place similar to Chuck E Cheese, but smaller and closer. His theme was an airplane party and most creative mothers would plan an actual airplane party at an airport or airplane museum or something right? This mother does not have creative juices. I can do an airplane invitation and Nana makes the themed cakes-she did a fantastic job! The kids played mini golf, had some pizza and played arcade games before enjoying that lovely cake and watched Caleb open his presents. He had told me months previous that he was dreaming of a remote control tractor for his birthday so of course I had to get one for him. He said it was his favorite gift! SCORE! He also got a US map puzzle of all the states which he learned with Nana over a few days! He knows where the states on the map are more than his own mother! He had a fun day with friends and new toys and then got to spend a few more days with Nana & Papa while Mom and Dad went to NYC for an anniversary trip! Woohoo! Stay tuned for next post!
We love you buddy and hope you had a wonderful airplane party!

P.S. I would just like to note that the airplane party was planned right after his 3rd birthday and #5 was planned prior to turning 4.

15 months!

2011-09-18T17:14:00.000-07:00

This past week, my little tornado starting taking steps without support. Kerry and I started playing baby ping pong like we did with Caleb (right) and it sure helps to encourage him to walk support free. I think in another week or so, I may be in trouble! Kieran (left) loves to push anything now that he can get around. The dog dish, the plastic kid chairs, the sit and spin, the wagon, his walker, you name it. He just doesn't put it back so my house looks like a tornado hit. Especially when he visits the kitchen. He knows the things he can play with, so he takes them out of each cupboard and throws them around. Its awesome.

He loves to dance. Put on the Imagination Movers and he is grooving in a second alongside his brother. He tries more things to eat than his big brother, but I am sure that will change once he turns 4 too. He loves to say "Uh oh" and sing into a play microphone. He has tried to ride Speedy, but hasn't successfully done so because the poor dog can only take so much torture in his old age. I love to see him attempt to climb into the bathtub at tubby time or climb out when he is all done. I love to see him climb into his big red chair and just relax. I love that he still greets Caleb with a "boop" in the morning, reaching out to touch his nose. I love that he loves to play with Caleb and do whatever he is doing, although Caleb may not agree. I love to see his excitement in the morning when I get him out of bed. I love that he talks about Dada all day long and his face lights up when he sees him. I love everything about this special gift of my son.

Caleb is nearly 4. My goodness. My chubby cheeked little baby cakes, is now a very intelligent, silly, fun loving kid who just started preschool this month! He loves to go to school and I am so happy for him. Its hard to question him on his day, either he doesn't want to share or he doesn't have a good memory! This past week, we got our first bad report on his behavior which did not make us happy, but hopefully he will learn and grow and listen and be kind. I do have to remember he is only 4. He loves to go on bike rides with me cul-de-sac to cul-de-sac. He loves to find the perfect stick on a walk. He loves to watch the Backyardigans and Looney Tunes. He loves to play Wii. He loves to listen to Imagination Movers and Veggie Tales. He loves to play Chutes & Ladders, Candyland and Uno. He loves to go to Conner Prairie to make crafts and visit the Apple Store for a treat afterwards. He loves the museum and Bounce U. He loves going to the library and he loves staying home a lot too. I love to hear him pray for us at dinner. Its so genuine and meaningful to him. I love that he can think of just about anything to put off going to bed. I love everything about this special gift of my son.

This month Kerry and I are celebrating our 10 year anniversary a few months late by traveling to NYC for a few days while his parents watch the boys. We are ecstatic about visiting a new place and also to see a taping of Jimmy Fallon! I know the boys will have lots of fun with Nana & Papa, and they won't miss us a wink....well, hopefully a wink or two! I will definitely miss them as this is our first trip away from our kids alone! Whatever will we do? Sleep in? Enjoy the quiet? Party like rockstars? Just kidding. At least we won't have to be home for 7:30 bedtime.

14 months!

2011-08-18T13:59:00.000-07:00

This past month Kieran (left) not only cruises at lightening speed, he started crawling too! Woohoo! Better late than never right? 4 top teeth also popped out in a matter of weeks. He is still my super sleeper and loves his big brother to no end. Anything he is doing or eating, he wants to try. He has found the joy of ketchup not for dipping, but mostly just licking! He still loves to fling unwanted food sky high which is quite funny, but we have to break this bad habit before it gets worse so the squirt bottle is always near by. Any time Caleb hears a peep out of Kieran, "I think he needs a spray" and boy when he sees that bottle does his expression change from happy to frightened real fast! He has gotten so mobile, he doesn't want to miss a minute of the action so diaper changes have become quite a feat so I am giving the new Huggies Slip Ons a try. So far, the guy has been easy to change since getting them so I cannot say how much they have helped my situation thus far, go figure. I can add "duck" to Kieran's vocab along with new animal sounds, "Mooo" and "Oooh Oooh, Oooh" for a monkey which will be good in time for Halloween. He is starting to test his balance and stand for longer periods of time without holding onto anything and slowly pushing some toys along while walking behind. He is my little baby who is growing up so big, so fast.

Caleb is also my little boy who is growing up so fast. He truly loves his brother. He began this "boop" game where he touches his nose with a finger and says "boop". Kieran repeats it with a "boop" back and sometimes when he sees Caleb he automatically says "boop"! Too cute. He loves to pray now at the table and it is so very precious and genuine. "Thank you Jesus for this day, for our food and for our family. Amen." We keep telling him he can add more things to his prayer, but isn't quite ready yet. He loves to play with any kids who are willing wherever we go, but his best friends are Maddie & Nico Odegaard, who are the 2 older kids of some of our best friends from California. I love to see the joy on their faces when they get to see each other. Its a really special bond they share. My little boy will be starting pre-school next month and he is really excited. He told me awhile back that pre-school is for kids and mommy and daddy have to drop him off. He is so ready to go. His Spiderman backpack is waiting patiently. His swimming skills have also advanced very well this summer. He has no fear. He wanted a surf board to go to the beach so we got one, yet we didn't have a beach. We found beach! 3 hours away at Indiana Dunes and it was glorious. It brought back so many memories of San Diego and how I wished for a beach for my boys to play on. Just to see his delight was priceless. He was a bit afraid of surfing, but running from the waves was fun enough!

Hopefully by next update Kieran will be walking and I will have a proud pre-schooler!

13 months!

2011-07-17T19:03:00.000-07:00

Just when I thought my little Kieran (top) may not ever move, he started to cruise! Slowly at first, but if I look away for a minute he has made it clear around the table, starting on his next lap! He loves to pull the safety corners off of the coffee table (they have lost their stick by now) so I just put them back on so he will keep practicing and pulling them off! Its hilarious! He doesn't like them on the table! He is starting to become adventurous in getting around, reaching farther and pulling himself up if he has fallen down. Sometimes I miss how he gets from one place to the next, but I am so excited to finally see this stage of growth! Today I actually set him up to crawl and I almost thought for a second he was just gonna take off, he lifted a knee and those hands and then flopped over!

He has also started the stage of pointing at everything this past month which I love to see. He is doing so well with his vocabulary too, saying "ball", "dog" and "go". I love his excitement over things like when he wakes up and just starts kicking and screeching with joy or when he sees his brother or Daddy walk in the room, his face lights up with a huge smile, with only 2 teeth in sight. Caleb had at least 8 by this point. Now, you don't want to get this kid too close to ice cream or the whole world will hear about it. I am quite confident its his favorite treat. He ate his first little cone all by himself, no problem and even wanted some of mine!

Each day with my boys is a blessing, but my heart smiles even brighter when they play so nicely together. Caleb is so kind, loving and gentle. Always wanting to hug or kiss his brother, tickle his toes or sing him a song before bed. I love that about him. He can be a goofball though sometimes. Someone recently asked him what his brother's name was. "I don't know. His middle name is Isaiah." Just made me laugh that he was acting like he didn't know, maybe he didn't want to give a stranger too much information :). They both love the water, whether its in the pool or the bathtub together. Caleb has moved onto showers, but loves to splash and play with Kieran on occasion. Caleb has progressed so well in the pool using a swim vest for support, but he has made amazing improvements this past month. He jumps in and paddles all around compared to hanging out in the shallow parts and floating on a noodle with some hesitation. Kieran will stay in his floaty for a bit before he wants to jump and splash with one of us. Nice, refreshing summer time fun!

Celebrating Daddy

2011-06-19T11:09:00.000-07:00

Nearly 10 years ago (I can hardly believe this much time has passed!!!) I walked down the aisle to you. My Dad gave his little girl away and entrusted me to your unconditional love and protection which still holds true to this day. This past decade has been an exciting journey together. We have laughed, cried and everything in between and most importantly we have brought two beautiful boys into our lives. I will begin to weep as I think of how precious they are to us both. How they could drive us absolutely crazy one minute and absolutely crazy in love the next.

Thank you for showing me how to change a diaper on Curious George as we anxiously awaited meeting Caleb. Thank you for remembering all of the tips from our childbirth video, standing beside me, feeding me ice chips, cheering me on each time we welcomed our babies. Thank you for putting up with some of my freakish ways of needing to handle everything by myself. Thank you for reminding me that you too, know how to be a parent as I sometimes get carried away in my day to day routine. Thank you for making our boys feel special and loved. I know they love me, but they have a certain sparkle in their eyes when they see you. Its uniquely for you. I love to hear Momma exclaimed, but there is something about their excitement each time you come home from work. I know it makes your day, no matter how rough, when Caleb stands at the door screaming DADDY!!!!!

Thank you for being my partner in this life, the love of my life. Thank you for rooting me on and encouraging me to no end. Thank you for being honest and open. Thank you for being silly and stinky. Thank you for being an amazing Father to our boys. They are incredibly lucky to have you to call Dad.

I love you buddy.

Happy 1st Birthday Kieran!

2011-06-18T17:57:00.000-07:00

Dear Kieran,

Happy 1st birthday baby Kaby or as your big brother calls you, Baby K munchers! What a special day! A part of me thought you might actually know it was your birthday because you were so happy and giddy all day! Mommy planned your party at the splash pad and we woke up to pouring rain. I hoped and prayed all day that the rain would hold off long enough to enjoy your party and it did! Just as we were leaving, it was starting to rain again. We couldn't have asked for a better day to celebrate you! Since our families are far and couldn't make it to your party, a few of our friends came to celebrate with us! Some of your girlfriend's, Libby, Addie and Haley came to play along with some bigger friends for Caleb. You chowed your birthday cake like you had been dreaming of it for months! Seeing you so happy, melted our hearts. We love you so much!

This past month was a bit stressful for Mommy only because my goal was to get you off of your bottle by today. We had some hard times and I felt defeated at one point crying in your Daddy's arms, but we conquered it! If at first you don't succeed, try, try again! I did just that and 1 out of the 10 cups I had bought actually worked!

I have also been trying really hard to get you to move. With a few techniques I read about, I have been able to encourage more tummy time that does not involve screaming! Although, when you have had enough, you roll over. I have even tried cheese puffs which I think could be the key, but you have decided rolling for them works just fine for you. Its okay, brother rolled too before he crawled. I guess because you are behind him a bit in age for when he started, I get worried, but I need to remember that every baby is different and you will conquer all of these milestones in your time. You still love to stand, but don't yet have the confidence to cruise along. Reaching until you get into a slanted position has suited you just fine until you don't know how to get back up. I know this will come in time too.

You have started waving and my heart melts when you wave back at me. My eyes get watery and I just want to squeeze you and hug you so tight. You are my precious baby cakes who is growing up too fast, just like your brother. It is getting hard on your Dad and I to realize this. You also seem to like more foods than your brother, but thank you for encouraging him to try new things. This past month you enjoyed my potato salad, spaghetti and crock pot roast. You still love pancakes for breakfast. You start screaming out of impatience when you see me heat them up and can hardly wait to devour them. Just to see your smiley face once you stuff them in your mouth can turn any early morning into the brightest day.

I celebrate you today Kieran Isaiah. I can still remember carrying you in my belly for 9 months, anxiously awaiting your arrival. I can still remember the indescribable joy I felt when you were placed across my chest for the first time. I can still remember that first smile, that first laugh, that first clap, that first wave, that first ma-ma.

No matter how fast you grow, you will always be my baby K. I love you bubbas.

Momma.

11 months!

2011-05-18T12:23:00.000-07:00

To think that I am one month away from wishing my baby boy a happy 1st birthday is still boggling my mind. I am hoping by next month he is moving and shaking a bit more! He still is very content sitting and standing, not quite confident enough to move those little feet and cruise around just yet.

We just returned from visiting my family out in California. I got to meet my sister's daughter Elizabeth for the first time and she is very close to walking! She is 2.5 months older than Kieran and just seems so much bigger! What a difference a few months can make! Kieran had a blast playing with her and her toys, but didn't quite take notes on her crawling and cruising abilities. Caleb had a blast with Aunt Lindsay, Grampy Bob and Gran and wished he could have stayed longer. Its almost as if he loses interest in me when we visit other people. He instantly became Gran's shadow, then became best pals with Grampy and soon to follow Aunt Lindsay. He got to play Uncle Dave's Wii, have squirt gun fights with Aunt Lindsay, swim in a friends' pool with Grampy and visit the zoo where he wanted to ride with train with Aunt Lindsay, not momma. Its new territory and new faces to have fun with. We also got to visit Chuck E Cheese to have a college reunion with the Buetzow's and Miller's. He instantly became friends with Jared Buetzow who he referred to as the "orange guy" because of his shirt color. He is not the best with names! Jared showed him the ropes at Chuck E Cheese. How to deposit your tickets for a print out which he proceeded to do every time he had a ticket. It was quite hilarious! Despite some crummy, cold weather, we had a lovely trip. I got to enjoy some In n Out, visit Ikea and catch up with old friends, one being my roommate from college who is getting married in November and I hadn't seen since living in San Diego 8 years ago!

The only frustration on the trip is flying with Kieran. I know its hard for him to nap in a confined space on a plane. My heart breaks for the little guy who is over tired and just doesn't know what to do with himself except scream and cry. I am glad no one else seemed to mind, but it can wear me out! I also traveled with everything, no checked luggage because I am cheap! You should have seen my caboose, it had people talking and offering me all kinds of help. I was amazed at how helpful people were to me, even a mother of 2 traveling alone as well offered to help me off the plane like she didn't have her hands full already!

It was so much fun to spend time with my family and meet baby Elizabeth. I hope she doesn't grow up too much more before I visit again at Thanksgiving! I am proud of myself for traveling alone and maintaining my patience. I can do this!

10 months!

2011-04-18T07:18:00.000-07:00

To think that my baby is 2 months away from turning 1 is shocking and a little bit sad. How has time flown by so quickly? His little hands clapping every time I get him from a nap or those sweet little feet kicking about when I change his diaper are growing so fast! This past month has become the joy of standing, so much so that I created a song about it. "Look at me, I am standing so big, I am so tall, I am standing, all on my own. I am so big, so tall and so strong, I am standing, all on my own." and his face lights up when I sing that little tune. He might just bypass crawling as he screams every time I put him on his belly. He can scoot a bit on his bottom, but not much more! Caleb started crawling at 10.5 months and Kieran is far from it. He likes to stand so much he will lock his legs if I try and sit him down. He has not began cruising yet, just content standing at a table or on his walker and his face just glows because he is so proud of himself! This month he has also began saying "Dadadadadada" and shortly after "Mamamamamamama" and that is usually when he is eating, so it may be "mmmmmmm" but he has gotten picky again so I am not sure if he is over what I have been making for him or just ready to self feed as he seems to enjoy that more. Just another reminder of how fast he is growing....already tired of spoon feedings!

Caleb continues to love him with so much excitement and Kieran returns that same joy when he sees his big brother. He has gotten back into wanting to help with diaper changes and gets disappointed if I have already tossed it in the bin without him. He likes to share his puffs as well as suck on a mango cube if Kieran is having some mango for lunch. Would you like a broccoli cube I ask? No thanks.

Kieran loves to play peek a boo and Caleb loves to play hide and seek, but he will tell you where to hide or be so noisy hiding that he can be easily found. Now that the weather is nice we have been back to taking our daily walks along the trail. I have a sit and stand and Caleb refers to it as the bus. He will get on and off at various stops he has created and his favorite game is running after the bus. Once he is on, he likes to get right off and repeat the cycle. Hey, whatever makes you happy right?

Kerry and I have really found much joy and blessing in watching Caleb grow and become a little man. We sometimes ask him to stop growing. He says the funniest things sometimes that crack us up and make us wonder where on earth it came from. Rather than learn a kid's name at church, he will call them by their shirt color, "Hey blue guy, or hey blue stripey guy!" On one of our walks this past week he exclaimed, "Jesus is watching me play in His pine cones!" After playing in the rain and helping Caleb find wormies, "Your the best worm finder Mom!" He just got a haircut recently so he is into spikey hair. Kerry is the only one who can make it and then Caleb loves to touch it with his hands. "I don't want the wind to mess up my spikey hair." He is very protective of it.

We love, love, love our boys and are reminded of their blessing each day. See ya next month!

One Too Many Losses

2011-04-06T06:22:00.000-07:00

Today is a sad day. My heart is weeping for my sister and her family. The loss I had been hoping and praying would not come this soon inevitably came. My niece Elizabeth who celebrates her first birthday on Friday has lost the only Grandma she ever got to smile with, her paternal Grandma Linda. She lost her battle of cancer on Monday. She was a loving lady whose smile radiated the room. Always very kind and loving towards my family whom she saw twice a year. I remember talking to my Dad a few weeks ago and we shared this exact thought. "Elizabeth won't have a Grandma to play with." I nearly broke down in tears. It sucks. It just doesn't seem fair. My family has suffered one too many losses, more so than others I know.

When my favorite Uncle Rick passed away, I think I was too young to understand what it meant. I never got to say goodbye and then just went on with life. A few years later, my mother was dying of cancer and I was still very young, but I had the chance to say goodbye. I witnessed her courageous fight that came to an end when I was only 11. This chapter of my life is forever embedded in my memory. I don't so much remember happy, joyful memories unless I look at old pictures. I remember her fight. I remember how much she suffered and endured pain, but I know she did it all for us in hope of beating the odds. It just didn't work out the way we wanted and who did I blame? God. I had no other choice. I didn't know who else was to blame. In high school and early college I lost my paternal Grandfather, both of my maternal Grandparents and a high school friend. One too many losses for someone under 20.

I am very grateful to my best friend Julie who walked along beside me through this entire journey of my life and still does. She shared God with me in a completely different way I could actually understand. Yes, I was still angry, but I was slowly starting to understand that God gives and God takes away. I found a church that taught me about God and what he wanted for my life and finally gave it over to Him when I was 19. From that day forward I knew peace. All of my tragedies were at peace in my heart. My cousin Deb gave me a book that she had read to help mourn the loss of her husband. "When Bad Things Happen to Good People" by Harold S. Kushner. He lost a son to progeria and he has some very comforting things to say. I always go back to this book when I need extra comfort. Yes, I always have God's word, but this author really captures wisdom I need to hear so clearly during a time of loss such as this. "Could it be that God does not cause the bad things that happen to us? Could it be that He doesn't decide which families are singled out to suffer, but rather He stands ready to help them and us cope with our tragedies if we could only get beyond the feelings of guilt and anger that separate us from Him? Could it be that "How could God do this to me? is really the wrong question to ask? When hard times befall you, don't be tempted to give up on your faith in God. He has reasons for what He is doing and I am comforted by the knowledge that there is purpose beyond my comprehension. I am so glad Deb gave me this book, it reassures me of my faith during these rough times.

My cousin Deb's mother passed away who is my paternal Grandmother's sister a little over a year ago around the time that we found out Linda's cancer had come back and this time it was unexpectedly terminal. My heart immediately sank and I prayed to God with all my might each day forward for a miracle of healing. I reached out to close friends and family asking for prayer, but this time the one miracle I wanted so badly for my sister did not surface. I wanted God so badly to be evident to her, that bad things don't always happen to good people. But, bad things do happen to good people and it is not God who wills it. This is hard for anyone to understand. Not too soon after Kieran was born, some very close family friends lost both parents within a short span of time. Again, one too many losses. When is the hurt going to stop?

I am saddened for my sister because she has now lost her second Mom and her daughter will not have a Grandma to play with and be spoiled by. Thankfully her Great Grandmother can fill those shoes a little while longer. For me, having a mother in law has been a huge blessing in my life. A mentor, friend and someone I can call on for anything. Any daughter needs that and hopefully my sister can find someone who will adopt her in that way if she hasn't already.

"Our God can heal and our God loves us. But even if He chooses not to heal, He still loves us. We surrendered to His power to give and take away."

9 months!

2011-03-18T16:53:00.000-07:00

Kieran (left) welcomed his 9 month birthday by being restless and hysterical most of the night. Nothing we could do or offer would calm him down. I am assuming he was having teething torture as two bottom teeth are making their way through, but I am only guessing. Finally, at 545am zombie like, I decided to put him in the car seat in the car and what do you think happened? Crashed for nearly 2 hours. I needed a break from the constant crying, but it was baffled more in the car than in his room and only lasted a minute or so. Why I didn't convince myself to do that sooner, I don't know.

This past month clapping became a delight to him! You can catch him clapping at just about anything and its adorable. He weighed in at 18.7lbs and 27.5 in, a bit behind where Caleb was, so he is definitely the little brother. He is still not wanting to crawl, will push backward in anger, but otherwise just screams after a bit of torture has passed. He loves to stand at the coffee table and just be a part of everything that is going on around him. He has enjoyed my creations of broccoli, cauliflower, strawberries and banana along with spinach, potatoes and kiwi. I will pass thank you, but if there is a way to get those important nutrients into his body, mix away! He is enjoying more finger foods like cheese puffs, teething biscuits and puffs. When fussy hour hits before bed time, its amazing what a cheese puff can do! Kieran also loves to take a bath in his ducky tub! He will just smile and splash around as long as I let him!

Caleb continues to ask when his brother will grow up and if we are going to get a girl baby some day. I keep telling him that mommy and daddy are happy with our boys and no girls will be joining us. He is a wonderful big brother with a heart full of love. Any time he can kiss or hold him is precious to us. One of my favorite lines from Caleb is when Speedy is sniffing out Kieran, "Momma. Seaby dog is licking our baby!" I love my boys and truly appreciate the gift they are to me.

Spring Break!

2011-03-11T12:44:00.000-08:00

We just returned from our annual trip out to AZ to see Kerry's family and we had a wonderful week of sunshine and warmth! It was Kieran's first flight and for the most part, he did pretty well. He had some fussy times, but he was out of his routine and comfort zone, so I don't blame him. Plus, the only person who noticed was Kerry! Caleb did great, he was so excited to get to Nana & Papa's that he barely wanted to do anything on the plane so that got a bit stressful, but we managed. We were expecting Papa to pick us up on the curb, but he jumped out and surprised us at the gate! Caleb was thrilled! He had a fantastic time with them and always does. We couldn't get him out of their 60 degree pool either! The boy was freezing and quivering and wouldn't stay in the sun or his towel long enough to warm up, he was like a fish out of water! Crazy kid! Papa got him a swim vest which I think will really help him learn how to swim. He was doing so great and was so proud of himself! We got to spend some time with good friends and just hang out and relax. We satisfied our cravings for good mexican food and In n Out and we got out on a date night too!

All fun must come to an end and I knew our week was creeping to a close. Its always hard to say goodbye and we often wonder if we will ever be close to family again. On our way back, Caleb asked if he could push a button and turn the plane around and go back to Nana & Papa's. I wish we could buddy. Every day since he has been asking to go back. I don't think he realizes its a 4 hour plane ride that costs more than what he has in his piggy bank! The best part of our trip is seeing how much love Caleb has for his grandparents which makes it all that much harder being far away.

8 Months!

2011-02-18T06:51:00.000-08:00

8 months already! What? Just a few days ago Kieran's (left) first tooth began to emerge. At this point, Caleb (right) already had his 2 bottom teeth! Kieran has been sleeping 12 hours at night this past month, something his brother didn't do til nearly a year old! Its been fun to compare the milestones. Kieran has already become a picky eater with certain vegetables. I don't remember having such a problem with Caleb. I was just telling Caleb last night when we had broccoli with dinner that he use to love it. Broccoli, Carrots and corn was his favorite dish. Gross, I know, but he loved that mix! Now, I can barely get him to lick a piece of broccoli! Its funny to watch Kieran gladly open his mouth for fruits, but clamps down with most vegetables!

Caleb continues to love on his little brother. Its his baby too. I love to see him kiss and hug and play with him. My favorite is when Caleb has to show us something Kieran is doing. "Close your eyes and come see." Whether he has tipped over, practicing crawling or standing, he is always so proud to show us!

This month we will take Kieran on his first flight to AZ to visit Nana & Papa. My hope and prayer is that it goes as well as Caleb's first flight and he is a dream baby. This may be too much of an expectation since we are traveling further and during his fussy time! We will be getting some family photos done by a dear friend http://kariedennyphoto.com who has recently taken up photography and certainly has made it her passion. She just has a natural talent for capturing great memories and I look forward to seeing the end result! Caleb can hardly wait to go on a plane to see Nana & Papa. It has been so long and he absolutely loves to fly! Having his own suitcase to roll makes it even more exciting!

Praying for Emma

2011-02-08T06:28:00.000-08:00

This little girl has been on my heart ever since we got the news that she will undergo a second open heart surgery on February 17th. A second heart surgery at the age of 2. Her parents are dear friends of ours who truly exemplify what it means to hand your children over to God at all times. They are strong, courageous, faithful, true, loving, kind, caring, selfless, amazing to say the least. Her mom shared her heart with us all just recently and I began to weep as I thought about being in her shoes at this very moment.
"So here we are eleven days before surgery and my nerves are a mess. I have moments where I am fine and moments where I worry for Emma's surgery because I know what COULD happen. This surgery is going to be longer than her first, by at least 2 hours, making her surgery 8-9 hours at the minimum. The risks are much greater this time around and there will be much unknown until her surgeon gets inside of her heart and explores around. I wish I knew exactly what was going to happen, but I don't, maybe that is a good thing. I hate all the risks involved. I hate that she has to go on the heart-lung machine again, the thought of her heart being stopped" is a hard one for me....I know she did this two years ago and all was fine, but she is my little girl and the risks are a lot. I hate that she is going to be in pain and there will be very little that I will be able to do to help her. I hate that I will not be able to hold my hurting child for at least 72 hours. I hate that she will have a long recovery where she will not be able to do all the things that she will want to do. I hate that this most likely will not be her last open heart surgery. I LOVE that my God is in control! I LOVE that God's will is perfect! I LOVE that God already knows exactly what is going to happen on February 17, 2011! I LOVE that God loves Emma more than I can even begin to imagine and His will for her is better than I could ever plan for her...even if it is a difficult road He has mapped out for her! My God is great and He is good all the time!!"
Every day I am praying for their family so hard, for little Emma and for her courageous and protective big brother Jeremiah. If you read this, please keep them in your prayers.

We love you Emma Miller!

My world right now

2011-02-02T12:14:00.000-08:00

The news called it a catastrophic storm and so I wasn't sure what to expect. The stores were packed Monday as we all prepared for the worst. We had plenty of food on hand, but no candles so Kerry made a trip out for some. On the way home, traffic was not moving. Monday evening the ice began to fall. Not rain, but ice. If you tried to scoop it up in your hand, it looked like snow cone ice. It continued to fall overnight and our power remained. Most businesses and schools closed down on Tuesday as conditions remained steady. Weather forecasters were saying the storm had yet to even start? What? Stay home unless you absolutely have to be somewhere. I just have to look out my window to see the block of ice surrounding me to know I wasn't going anywhere unless I wanted to slide there. Mostly everything was closed again today and so Kerry decided to skate around our yard. Yes, he can skate around the entire yard. I can't even fathom attempting to drive on this. We have a hill to leave our neighborhood, is that even possible when the snow plows rarely come down here? I have seen a few cars come and go, but I prefer to stay put.

Caleb and I play indoor hockey and he always has to win. He is a cheater but he loves to show off his trophy each time he wins. We could attempt to play outside, but one slip probably would not be worth the time it takes to get all of our snow gear on! Having these extra days with Kerry home has been nice too as I know Caleb misses him everyday he goes to work.

Being from California, I am not use to these conditions. I never thought ice would fall and my world would become an ice rink. This sounds ridiculous to say as I think about all the people in the world who do not have electricity, but I am so glad the power has remained on and we have not had to live by candle light and eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I must say, I am still not tired of seeing white. Maybe I was meant for the midwest.

7 months!

2011-01-18T11:05:00.000-08:00

Today I celebrate 7 months with baby Kieran (on left)! Time is flying so fast, I can hardly believe it! This past month he finally rolled over and has been sitting on his own quite steadily. He started solid foods and I can't say he is a fan of the greens! He certainly knows how to lock those lips or shake his head no! He is sleeping an average of 11 hours at night now, but still wakes with an occasional stir. He loves playing in his circle of fun or bouncing in his jump-n-go, but most of all he loves being entertained by his big brother. Whether its silly dancing or watching him drive his remote control car, everything his brother does looks inviting! Before I know it, he will be crawling and standing alongside his brother joining in on the fun!

A Pillow Pet Christmas!

2010-12-28T16:36:00.001-08:00

Caleb loved his pillow pet so much from his birthday that he wanted everyone to have one for Christmas. I was all for it since they are so very comfortable and Caleb wasn't so willing to share his! He kept telling me that he would get me a Ladybug pillow pet, even when we were out shopping and he would see one, he would say, "A ladybug pillow pet for you!" I kept telling him that he can't buy my present when I am with him. He told me to cover my eyes! I picked up a Dolphin for Kieran and a Monkey for Daddy. Letting Caleb in on gifts he has gotten for people doesn't go over well so I kept those a secret til Christmas Eve. When he went shopping with Daddy, he came home and told me, "I got you a Ladybug pillow pet and a dinosaur. Its a secret." You gotta love his heart. He just makes me laugh and laugh, but I am so GLAD I got my very own pillow pet! Kerry asked me the day after Christmas, "You aren't really using that as a pillow are you?" "Oh yes I am!" Besides pillow pets, we all got a few more things wrapped under the tree. It was nice to celebrate Christmas on our own but also sad to not have our families with us.

We gave Caleb his first advent calendar this year too so he would learn and understand the meaning of Christmas. That its not just about presents under the tree and Santa, but about the birth of our Savior. I think after a few days of eating chocolates behind the doors, it finally stuck because he gladly told the librarian, "Merry Christmas, its Jesus' birthday!" Of course he likes the gifts most of all, what kid doesn't? Today in the car he said, "Santa didn't bring my camaro." I told him that Santa can't fit everything in his sleigh as he has a lot of kids to deliver presents too, that he should be happy with all of the wonders he received as there are many kids less fortunate than him who don't get anything at all. I am not sure he understands that concept.

This Christmas I decided to make charitable donations for my Dad and Gran as their gifts. They have so much already that finding special gifts outside of family photos is sometimes hard. This year I made a contribution to http://www.charitywater.org/ and http://embraceglobal.org/ as their gifts. Check them out. The Embrace Infant warmer is pretty cool and very cheap to provide to a baby in need.

It was also nice to have a White Christmas. The snow may have not fallen when I was awake, but as long as it was on the ground I was happy. I hope everyone had a glorious holiday with their loved ones.

6 months!

2010-12-18T08:27:00.001-08:00

I don't know where time goes. I swear I was bouncing on an exercise ball a week ago trying to get labor started and now here I am feeding my baby cereal already in a high chair! Has 6 months seriously passed already? This past month Kieran starting jumping in his jumparoo. He loves it. I can't even get him in there completely and he is already jumping away! He still loves playing on his back over his tummy and has not yet mastered rolling or sitting up on his own, but I know every baby is different. Kieran is delightful. He is so smiley and happy except when left on his tummy or in the Circle of Fun for too long. If any of us sing "What's up with that" from the SNL skit he immediately starts glowing! He is grabbing for everything, even at this moment he is trying to type my blog post for me. How helpful. Sleeping has been rough this past month and I can't quite put my finger on it. I never had any sleep problems with Caleb at this age, but last night I was ready to Ferberize and he surprised me by sleeping so soundly. Maybe it was a last meal of formula that did the trick. We shall see.

Caleb loves him beyond words. It is such a blessing to see his love for his brother. If Kieran is sleeping, rather than disturb him, he will kiss him through his bedroom wall. He always gets so giddy when he wakes from a nap. "Bring him into the living room!" If Kieran is having a bottle, Caleb wants some milk too. When Kieran babbles, Caleb says, "He is talking baby." I can hardly wait for a year to pass to see the changes in their relationship. I just hope it stays.

I love my boys. I am trying to savor every minute of my last baby because time is flying by so quickly. Pretty soon they will be sharing bunk beds. Caleb can hardly wait for baby Kieran to join him up top.

Many Thanks!

2010-11-24T10:55:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading the Gates blog, http://scottandmariagates.blogspot.com/ and I am moved every time I read it. Maria talks about her struggle with infertility and the journey they have walked the past 4 years. They celebrate the first 6 months of their adopted daughter Kinley's life and look forward to the birth of the child they always hoped for. A true blessing and answered prayer.

I will never know the pain of infertility because I carried two beautiful sons. I always told myself that if I were to never get pregnant that adoption would be fine. I would be fine because that was part of God's plan. I can say it easily, but since I have never been in those shoes, my feelings could very well be different. I will never know or understand the longing to get pregnant, because with both boys, it happened very quickly. I will never know what it feels like to see all the friends around you fertile and birthing babies because I was fertile. I will never know that type of pain, but thankfully I have been a part of the wonders of adoption because an old co-worker of mine asked for some help a few years back. That co-worker struggled with infertility and she asked me to place adoption ads for her via the classifieds with proper legal representation of course, 6 months later she was contacted by a birth mom and today she is a proud mother of a beautiful girl. I helped another couple who was referred by her by the same process and a birth mom contacted her within 2 months of trying. The experience was at first very peculiar to me, but in the end, quite rewarding to witness.

So this Thanksgiving I am particularly thankful for my boys. I am thankful God allowed me to bear children quickly and easily. I never dreamed pregnancy and childbirth would be so easy and I was fortunate both times to have such an experience. I am thankful that God created them for me to enjoy, raise and love unconditionally and that at any moment he may want them back. Each day I entrust them to Him for He knows each chapter of their lives already. Each day is a blessing to have and to hold them, to witness each smile and to wipe away tears. Each day I am thankful for my boys.

5 months!

2010-11-18T11:49:00.001-08:00

5 months old today! My goodness! I am starting to see some differences in them now. Obviously Caleb had better hair. Kieran is somewhat thinner on the sides of his head, but thick on top, its funny! Kieran has regressed a bit in his wonderful sleeping patterns, but that is okay. I will survive. Motherhood, its what I signed up for and just like any other obstacle, this too shall pass right? He is so smiley and sometime giggly if you tickle him in the right spot. He found his feet recently and tries to suck on his toes, but those chubby thighs seem to get in the way, but I help him stretch so he can nibble!

If anyone can make him smile, its his big brother. He loves that guy. Caleb loves to get out all of his baby toys and pile them on top of Kieran, hoping he will play with each and every one! Caleb loves to give his brother hugs and kisses and to make sure he is comforted with his lovey, Giraffe Lou!

I tested Kieran with formula and some rice cereal yesterday. With his sleep issues, I wasn't sure if maybe he is not getting the nourishment he needs from breast milk alone. Who knows, but he gobbled both up! I remember when I first gave Caleb formula he freaked and I about had a heart attack! It was comforting to know that the transition will be easy once it arrives.

In all honesty, I do feel like going crazy most days at some point, but I have learned to manage well and keep my cool for the most part! Caleb has been a huge help to me, but he can also press my buttons! All I have to do is look at either one and I am reminded of the precious gifts they are to me!

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-02T07:03:00.001-07:00

This year Caleb ask to be a dinosaur again. Last year he was Stegosaurus. Really, a dinosaur again? Not an ice road trucker or a monster truck? "I want to be a triceratops." I was on the look out for a triceratops costume. Last year I found his costume at Gymboree and this year, what did they have? A triceratops costume! What luck! We attended a few Halloween parties this year where he could dress up and he loved it! They make these costumes so warm and cozy and luckily it was chilly on Halloween night, so it worked out nicely. We walked our entire street from culdesac to culdesac. He had a blast saying "Trick or Treat and Thank you!" What I noticed is that 50% of the homes just offered a bowl on their front porch. I did not do that when we left as I don't trust the kids to take just one piece as Kerry reminded me that he would dump the entire bowl into his bag as a kid! Once we got home, we had a few "customers" as Caleb called them in which he helped pass out candy, but I think everyone was out when we were so we had half a bowl left over! Once we got home, Caleb spread out his collection of treats and marveled over all of it! Because he is 3, I let him have 3 pieces of candy which I somewhat regret because he did not fall asleep til after 11pm that night! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Kieran was our little sweet pea. He of course inherited Caleb's infant costume for his first Halloween!

23 years

2010-10-30T12:17:00.000-07:00

Today I remember my Mom who lost her fight of ovarian cancer 23 years ago. I cannot believe that much time has passed. It sometimes seems like just yesterday as my memories of that time are so vivid in my mind. I cannot express how much she is missed, how much she has missed in our lives. She now has 3 grandchildren that she never got to hold. I often wonder if Caleb ever wonders where is Grampy Bob's other half. He has a Nana and Papa, but just a Grampy Bob. Someday he will know.

Every time I look at my boys, I have to sometimes squeeze them a little bit harder. I can't imagine having to say goodbye to them at any age, especially as a child. Becoming a mother has made me more emotional because the power of love is so much greater once you become one. I miss having her around to talk to. I wish she could meet my family. I hope she knows how much she is missed, loved and what a strong legacy she passed onto me.

I still fear being diagnosed with ovarian cancer sometime in my life. It's there and will always be. Not to say that another type of cancer won't strike me, or maybe I will get lucky and never have to suffer from any form, but I pay special attention to this type because its so hard to catch early. I just scheduled my annual checkup and requested the extra precautionary measures. Every year I hope for the best and enjoy my life as each day is precious. 33 years I have been fortunate. I just hope for another 40 so I can meet my grandchildren.

4 months!

2010-10-20T11:14:00.000-07:00

I just took Kieran in for his 4 month well check and he was a nice 14.7 lbs and nearly 25 inches tall! Caleb was very helpful to the doctor, wanting to help with all of her gadgets as little brother got examined! Kieran was smaller than Caleb at birth, but so far has outweighed his brother at this point! It will be interesting to see how the growth differences continue. Will the little brother turn into the little "big" brother?

Kieran is smiling and starting to giggle or squeak along with lots of drool! I remember at this time Caleb wore a bib everyday all day because there was so much! He is a super happy baby, always smiling with wide eyes, such a wonder to look at! He is holding onto toys and his binky (mostly pulling it out of his mouth!) and chewing on everything! I have a permanent drool spot on my right shoulder when he is resting there! He is sleeping great. I actually put him down without being swaddled last night for the first time and he did just fine! He usually found a way to get his little hands out to suck on anyways, so I decided to let him be free in a sleepsack!

Kerry was just saying how amazing it is that he survives on breast milk alone for 6 months of life. It just got me thinking how I take that precious time for granted sometimes. I am the sole provider of his nourishment. God designed my body to nourish my child sufficiently with all he needs. That is amazing to really sit back and ponder the wonder of it all. My goal is always 6 months and Caleb weaned himself close to that time. I tell myself now that I will not miss nursing because sometimes it can be an inconvenience, especially having a toddler to look after, but once Kieran gets older and no longer needs just breast milk for nourishment, I am sure it will hit me. This is it. This is our last baby and this bonding time is priceless. He no longer depends on me alone.

He is growing so fast, I can hardly believe we are in month 4. I love to check off all of the things the doctor's list says he should be doing at each stage. Drooling, check. Smiling and cooing, check. Finding their hands, check. Kicking, check. Oh my, can this boy kick! Its so fun to watch all over again. You kind of forget this stage when nearly 3 years have passed since you experienced it!

Happy Birthday Caleb!

2010-09-28T11:13:00.001-07:00

It is hard to believe my first baby cakes is now 3! This past weekend Nana & Papa came to visit for his party and Caleb could hardly wait to see them! We had made a countdown calendar since August that he marked off every day until his birthday and we finally made it! When Nana & Papa arrived on Friday morning, Papa decided to take Caleb out to the neighborhood garage sales. They came back awhile later with a few bags in hand! I told Caleb to tell Papa, "You spoil me and I love you!" which he did! Saturday was the much anticipated monster truck party. Nana was in charge of the monster truck cake and she did a fantastic job! We celebrated with some friends and enjoyed the special day! By Sunday, Caleb was so pooped that he actually fell asleep on the couch right before Nana & Papa had to leave for the airport. This never happens so you know he was exhausted! They kissed him goodbye and flew back home to AZ. Once Caleb got up to find that they had left, he was very upset. It nearly broke our hearts, but he was so tired, he needed the rest after a long weekend.

I can't believe he is already 3! I know I said this last year when he turned 2, but the time flies! We love you so much buddy and have been so thrilled to see you grow and become the wonderful little man you are! You make us laugh and smile every day! I hope you loved your monster truck party! Happy Birthday Caleb!

First Dentist Appointment!

2010-09-22T12:24:00.000-07:00

When Caleb found out I was going to the dentist a few weeks ago, he wanted to go too so I told him I would make him an appointment. Being nearly 3, it was the perfect time to go. He has been so excited about having an "appointment." He had also been wanting a fire truck so I told him I would get a fire truck as his reward for being good at the dentist. Getting him excited about the dentist and his reward totally made our first dental appointment a successful one!

When the hygienist called him back and asked if he was ready, he responded, "I'm going to get a fire truck with a big ladder." She sat him down in the chair and put the the clippy towel around his neck and he responds, "She gave me a necklace!" She was entertained by his little comments throughout the visit and thought he was so funny! I was quite impressed with his behavior and willingness to lay down in the chair, open his mouth and get a cleaning. She even scraped some plaque and flossed his teeth! He loved the bubble gum flavored toothpaste and has been wanting to brush and spit most of the afternoon! I nearly cried watching my little boy get his first teeth cleaning. I didn't know what to expect going in, whether he would sit nicely or throw a fit and refuse it. The best part was finding out after 3 years that he did not have a cavity! Not one! When she finished the cleaning, Caleb was handed a certificate of bravery for doing such a good job!

After his appointment we headed out to get his fire truck. We called Daddy on the phone to tell him the good news. "Daddy, I did a great job at the dentist."

My BFF visits!

2010-09-18T12:32:00.000-07:00

My dearest friend Julie came to visit me and my family out in Indy. Last time I saw her was almost a year ago for my first "mom vacation" and little did I know that Kieran was already growing inside of me! I just keep moving farther away so face time is not frequent enough! The kids and I picked her and Olivia up late Wednesday night. Caleb was so excited to have a new friend in town. On the way to the airport we were arguing over whose best friend Julie was!

Thursday we headed out to lunch before stopping at the Children's Museum. We had gone around 2, which is normally nap time for most kids and the place was pretty scarce! Caleb had a fun time showing Olivia all of the fun things he likes to play with there! I made taco's for dinner that night before getting the kids off to bed.

Friday we went over to Conner Prairie for a bit, stopped in downtown Noblesville for lunch and a trip to the Wild bookstore then headed home for a nice afternoon walk on our nature trail. Julie loved it and thought it was the best part of the trip!

Saturday our visit came to an end and once at the airport Julie was not very happy to discover flight delays home. Instead of a 3:30pm arrival they wouldn't get home til nearly 8pm! Not much fun to look forward to while traveling with a toddler!

I met her in 3rd grade and our friendship has remained true ever since. It is amazing to think we have walked nearly every road of life together. It was so much fun to see her. We can always pick up right where we left off, like it had been yesterday since I saw her last. Maybe that is because we talk a few times a week! She continues to make me laugh, smile, encourage and not judge anything I do. She is a forever friend which I treasure every day! Thank you Jules for being in my life. Bodda shanes!

3 months!

2010-09-18T12:29:00.000-07:00

Grampy Bob visits!

2010-09-14T07:04:00.000-07:00

This past weekend my Dad came to visit and meet his newest grandson, Kieran. The minute he walked in the door he reached out for him and held him close. Then Caleb immediately said, "Come see my room." so he did just that. Grampy brought him a few birthday presents, a new fish aquarium lamp (the model we had was recalled and I was just about to get another one, good thing I didn't!) as well as a new fish tank for real fish! Caleb loves to get presents!

On Saturday Grampy and Caleb set up the fish tank before we went to downtown Carmel walked around a car festival and grabbed lunch at Mudbug's Cajan Cafe. It was sprinkling lightly, but still nice to walk around for a bit. We passed at Dairy Queen on the way home and of course we had to stop for my Dad's favorite treat, dilly bars! We stopped at Petsmart to get a few fish for Caleb's new aquarium which he held the whole way home. He named them Nemo and Dori and unfortunately, one of them has already kicked the bucket! At least Caleb knows about death since losing his pet hamster Lola. "We have to get another one!" Later that night we headed out to dinner at Mudsock's and of course my Dad needed another ice cream treat so we took him to Handel's where he was anticipating his Pistachio ice cream but decided to get Coconut Cream Pie instead.....good decision. One of my new favorites.

Sunday was Grandparent's Day so it was nice to have one in town! Caleb brought him a card and said, "Thank you for being my Grampy." My Dad took Caleb out on the kayak and they played in the sand box before having lunch together on the couch. Caleb had to sit by Grampy. They later took a walk along the trail down by the river before coming home to relax and watch the Colt's game before dinner. Kerry barbequed his famous burgers and we had My Dad's sweet corn, the best corn in Indiana! Yummy treat!

Monday morning my Dad's visit came to an end. It was great to see him play with Caleb and want to love and hold Kieran as well. Warmed my heart. Hopefully he enjoyed visiting our home in the Midwest and will return again some day soon! Love you Dad, thank you for coming to visit us!

2 months!

2010-08-19T11:47:00.000-07:00

Today was Kieran's (on left) 2 month well check! I can hardly believe my little guy is growing so fast! He is 12.6 lbs and nearly 23 inches already! A bit bigger than his older brother (on right) at this point! He is doing so well outside of taking some cat naps and fussy time after the 8 o'clock hour! He is sleeping 7-7.5 hours at night currently and I am hoping for that push to one more hour, but its so hard to ignore those bright eyes and smiley face at 6am! Just when I got my peaceful sleep, I now have to worry about big brother who has been waking in the night, sometimes stumbling into our room at 5am, but thankfully going back to sleep....sometimes. I think his sleep is off since he fights taking a nap most days so his night time sleep gets interrupted too. Lovely!

Caleb is a great big brother. He loves to give Kieran kisses, hold him and sing him songs. Every baby he sees he says, "That baby looks like baby Kieran!" He is adjusting well and we have been pleased. Caleb is still potty training and doing great. He is not night trained by any means, but does great during the day. Hopefully this milestone will be conquered soon.

Caleb will be 3 next month and that is all he can talk about. My birthday. My birthday. We had to make a calendar chart on the wall so he can count down the days. He has already told me that he wants a bumblebee pillow pet which he saw on tv. He wants everything he sees on tv! We have Grampy Bob visiting, then my best friend and Nana & Papa will be here for his party. September will be a fun filled month!

Thanks to the suggestion of my friend Katie, I am putting pictures of both kids each month so you can see how similar they look! WOW!

Take Two!

2010-07-16T19:13:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe 4 weeks have passed since Kieran arrived. I have survived on an average of 5 hours of sleep since that day and going strong! Its amazing how God wires us Moms to do our job of caring and nurturing our little ones no matter the amount of rest we may get. There are times at 2am where all I want to do is sleep, but I still have the energy to cuddle or feed my precious bundle in his time of need. I wonder how will I survive the next day with so little sleep, but I have yet to have any problems and I do not get it. I am still not drinking caffeine either!

I was a bit unsure of how Caleb would react once the baby arrived. I have to say we had some struggles that first week home with acting out and tantrums, but over the past few weeks, they have resolved and he has been a loving big brother and helper to me. Caleb loves to hold and kiss him, give him his binky or sing to him if he cries. He did like to warm up the wipes for a diaper change by rolling them in his hands like Nana showed him, but now he is not so interested. Kieran is not much into his binky though. Spits it right out or knocks it out with his hands. Smart little fellow, but sometimes I wish he would enjoy it. Oh well, it will save me the hassle later on when I have to take it away I guess!

We have made it out of the house nearly every day on an outing to keep Caleb entertained and to get some fresh air. I did dread this because I wasn't sure I could handle two kids out and about as one is sometimes difficult! How would they both fit in a cart if I had shopping to do? Would Caleb behave or act out? What do I do if Caleb has to go potty? So many concerns, yet they have been easier than I thought. Caleb has really impressed me by listening and staying nearby. He likes to help push the stroller and is always looking out for Kieran. "Where is Kieran? What is he doing? Don't worry baby Kieran."

These past 4 weeks have been tiring, but I know the first 6 are the hardest. Kieran is a great baby. I almost want to say a bit more calm than what I remember of Caleb. He does like to be held when fussy, but what baby doesn't? He is following our routine so well already and I didn't even attempt it with Caleb til 8 weeks. I am hoping to get some sounder sleep here by month 2...we shall see!

Kieran Isaiah Snyder, 6/18/10, 7:48pm, 7.12/5oz, 19 3/4in

2010-06-21T13:24:00.000-07:00

I was due on Saturday, June 19th and was hoping not to make my Friday, June 18th appointment, but I did. To my surprise I was already 6cm at my 10am visit so I asked if I could go to the hospital for fear I would miss my epi on the rocks opportunity. The doctor was surprised I had not felt any contractions. What can I say, I guess I have high pain tolerance and maybe just didn't notice any yet! She told me I could head to the hospital about 4pm. I was still worried about that since Caleb came within 4.5 hours of feeling the first contraction. Once I got home, we took a walk and I started feeling some contractions, just not consistent enough to call the doctor back yet. I had some lunch and kept walking around the house hoping they would speed up a bit so we could get going and about 2pm I felt like I needed to get there so they gave me the go ahead. We arrived at 245pm and I was now 8cm, yet my contractions still were not close or painful one bit. When they asked me my pain level on a scale of 0-10, 10 being highest, I had to fudge and say a 2 or 3 even though it was probably 0! I was getting nervous I may not get my drugs in time and I was not about to experience this all natural, no thank you! I got my epidural and they broke my water soon after and I was still sitting at 8cm. Kerry and I watched the Proposal while we waited for this little bundle to make its way. I was hoping for a 6/18 at 6:18pm birth because I have a 10/14 at 10:14am birth, so I thought that might be cool, but it didn't happen. Kerry guessed 7:35pm. The doctor came in at 725pm and I was ready to go! 17 minutes later we met our little bundle at 7:48pm! ANOTHER BOY! We were thrilled either way, but love keeping our kids surprises, makes the experience so much more exciting! As they lay him on my lap, I broke down in tears over the amazing wonder before me.

Thank you Lord for a healthy, beautiful addition to our family.

Potty Party!

2010-06-15T12:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday after picking up Nana from the airport we rewarded Caleb with his potty party at Chuck E Cheese! He had to poop 3x in the potty in order to go and we have now had 6x! Yippee! Going pee is a breeze now, we just have to learn how to pull down and up our pants! Poop is still a timing game, but we try at certain times of day and sometimes we get it right, others we don't and that is okay.

Caleb is my big boy and soon to be a big brother. He can hardly wait! I am so very proud of his potty training!

The end is near!

2010-06-11T12:25:00.001-07:00

At my weekly checkup today, I was already at 3cm! Woohoo! I was hoping some of this random cramping I have had the past few weeks was worth something! The doctor said that was a sign that the baby is down and ready for delivery! Though, my previous OB said the same thing about Caleb 2 weeks prior to his delivery! Ha! I guess I am just waiting for the next cramp because that could be it. I was already 5cm when I arrived at the hospital with Caleb and progressed pretty quickly so a part of me is nervous about this one. Yes, I want baby to come sooner than the 19th, but I do want enough time for that lovely epidural! My bag is packed and I am ready to meet this little bundle, just hoping and praying for a safe delivery!

I am also relieved that Nana & Papa are here to help us with Caleb. Papa leaves Sunday (he changed his trip plans and came into town for a dear friend's funeral this week) and Nana comes on Monday afternoon. My doctor's fun prediction was that I would go into labor on Monday night. If that is the case, we should be good to go, although I had plans to celebrate Caleb's potty party as well as Nana's birthday then! Although they would get to share their birthday with my sister and that would be pretty cool since Kerry shares his birthday with her daughter!

We shall see when baby decides to make his or her debut. Papa is surprisingly calling a girl this time while Nana calls a boy. Caleb wants a brother and I am assuming he is right since my pregnancy was not much different than before. Oh, the anticipation!

Wish us luck and say a little prayer!

Week 6 Potty Training Diary!

2010-06-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe my boy has been using the potty for the past 6 weeks already. I am sure anyone who reads this is probably bored by it, wondering, when will she stop already? Probably once the baby comes.....then it will just be a monthly update :)

This past week we have accomplished our potty goal of going poop 3x in the potty so we can now celebrate at Chuck E Cheese! Woohoo! Caleb still does not always want to try, he will say, "Its too hard." I try and place him on the potty at possible go times and thankfully we have had 2 successes this past week! We smother him with praise and let him know how proud we are of him. He too likes to hand out the praise by copying our actions of giving us hugs and kisses and pats on the back for doing a good job! Its so sweet. This past Thursday I did not have a surprise on hand so we took a quick trip over to CVS so he could pick out a prize. I talked him into a gardening kit so he could help Daddy water the vegetable garden. He dragged me up to the counter saying, "Come on Mama. We have to pay for it. Come on." At least he knows we pay for things and don't shoplift! Once we got home he had to water the garden with Daddy. It made him so happy!

Nana gave us a great idea to have a treasure chest of prizes for Caleb to choose from each time he goes poop in the potty. A good motivational idea so Kerry took a trip to the dollar store to pick up a few items like a bug kit, sidewalk chalk, elephant, giraffe, cars stickers. We showed it to Caleb so he would know what was awaiting him. He kept asking to see it, but we had to make it clear that he does not get to pick anything out until he goes poop on the potty. Yesterday he asked to go so we placed him on there and about 20 minutes later you hear him proclaim, "I did it!" as he points his finger in the potty for us to see! He chose the bug kit and wanted to look for creatures immediately!

Today we pooped in our pants. We are going to have those days. I can only hope for success every day but its not guaranteed. He is still not asking to go potty, we just take him and every time he goes. I thought we would have gotten to that stage at this point, but not yet and its okay. We mostly have dry naps now which is great, so I am down to a pull up a day at night time. Woohoo!

Potty Training Week 5 Diary!

2010-06-01T11:47:00.000-07:00

Another reason to celebrate this past week, POOP IN THE POTTY! YEAH! YEAH! YEAH! I put him on the potty right before his nap time because that is when he has been holding out to go in his diaper. We read a few books and then I decided, maybe you need some privacy. Who really likes someone watching them take a poop? Not 5 minutes had passed since I had left and I hear from the bathroom, "I DID IT!! I NEED MY SURPRISE! COME CHECK!" Kerry and I never would have thought we would be so thrilled about a poop in the potty. Ok, maybe I was thrilled about my first poop after birthing Caleb, but that is another story for another time.

I had picked up a new sandbox toy the day before, keeping it on hand to entice him with a surprise for going poop in the potty. Apparently it worked and he went! The excitement was too much, he couldn't take his nap, just wanted to play with his new sandbox toy! I didn't mind, was just so proud of this accomplishment. Its funny, I had originally promised a big lollipop, but then figured that is not reward enough in his eyes, gotta up the reward, hence the sandbox toy. The little guy has a memory like no other and after his quiet time in the room, proceeds to ask for his big lollipop and I had to cave and give it to him for doing so well. His response to me, "Momma. You so nice to me." Melted my heart, but Kerry called me a SUCKER. Sucker I will be for my little man pooping in the potty!

Since the poop in the potty, we have only had accidents in our underoos. My timing has been off again because he has done morning and afternoon poops, when it was just afternoon before nap time for the past few weeks. This morning I seriously asked him if he had to go poopy on the potty and not five minutes later I find Nemo soiled with POOP! After lunch today he sat in there for an HOUR, reading, having some privacy and every time I tried to say we were done trying, he kept saying, "No. I am still finishing." A term he uses a lot when he doesn't want to do something he is asked. It was way past his nap time so I pulled him off and put on his diaper. Seriously, 5 minutes later he pooped in his diaper! AHHHHHHHHHHH! Almost had it this time.

Going pee in the potty is a breeze now. On occasion we might have an accident because he still does not let us know when he has to go. I still ask him and he will say no, but then I take him anyway and he will go. I guess he cannot anticipate the need just yet, not sure but he certainly will hold out until I take him, so he is learning where it should go. My next task is figuring out this poop time table. Do we sit at 9am or 10am, 130pm? If only he could give me notice.

I am thankful we have not had a poop accident outside of the house....not looking forward to that one! Wish us luck as we continue on this potty train!

Dear #2

2010-05-31T11:54:00.000-07:00

Hopefully no more than 19 more days to go before I get to meet you. I found out about you on my 32nd birthday which seems so very long ago. The best birthday present I have received thus far! I am amazed how quickly you have grown in my womb, how fast this pregnancy has passed and here I am at the point of anxiety over your soon arrival. It is funny how when the end is so near, it can't pass quickly enough! As your big brother has said many times, "I will wait for you."

Thank you for every punch, kick and hiccup which assures me daily that you are growing and thriving in my belly. As I read to Caleb, I wonder if any of those books might be a favorite of yours when you are older. If you prefer Mommy, Daddy or Caleb's singing at bedtime. If you will be my precious little girl or handsome little boy. Caleb wants a little brother now, but just in case your a little sister, he will love you just the same. I wonder if you too will be 8lbs with a full, dark, BIG head of hair. I wonder if you too will look exactly like your Daddy at birth.

Your Daddy, Caleb and I have prayed for you daily. Thanking God for yet another blessing in our lives. Thank you for never making me sick and allowing me to enjoy the past 9 months. I am now a bit uncomfortable and not sleeping much, but that again is another wonder of God that amazes me about motherhood. He prepares us well in advance for what will come.

Its funny that I don't know what to expect with your arrival this time. I had no idea with Caleb until some constant cramping began at 4am the day after he was due. Everyone tells me the second baby comes much quicker. As much as I would be delighted to have another 4.5hr labor and delivery, please give me a little extra warning so I can get to the hospital and have my epidural first! Lord knows, I don't want to be yelling out profanities on your birthday as I welcome you into our family.

I love you so very much, words cannot express. It is a privilege to be your mother. To love and care for you as long as our God allows me to.

Potty Training Week 4 Diary!

2010-05-25T06:20:00.000-07:00

"I just peed in my pants and crocs." This made me laugh, although I felt bad for rushing to empty my bladder first and returning to Caleb standing there looking down at his wet crocs. We had gone to pick up Speedy from the groomer and almost made it! Oh well. Accidents will happen!

This week started off with Kerry asking Caleb if he wanted to pee like Daddy. "Yes!" Kerry showed him how its done and BOOM we are moving along on this potty train and standing up like a big boy should! This makes me VERY happy as this is a lot easier and cleaner than sitting and hoping it doesn't shoot into his clothing. He has amazing aim too! We just tell him to shoot for the water and away he goes! He still likes to grab some toilet paper, toss it in and flush and sometimes even forgets his reward....which I like, because how many jelly beans does a kid really need in a day?

Still no success with poop in potty. However, we have moved away from poopy pants. Caleb has turned his poop clock onto nap time so he can easily go in his diaper, which apparently is still the most comfortable way to go. This is better than rinsing the dirties, but I try and have him sit before his nap and go on the potty, it just hasn't worked yet. He will seriously get his diaper on and 5 minutes later after we have left the bathroom.....POOP! He will also pull the stalling technique of "I have to go poopy" right before bedtime. I obviously sit him down in hope that he may really go, but that has yet to happen. Just my brilliant 2 year old's plan for staying up and getting more stories!

We have had dry naps a few times this past week and last night his diaper was barely full. Amazing! I am a proud Mom. I only hope this success continues once baby arrives and we don't relapse. The journey continues!

Potty Training Week 3 Diary!

2010-05-17T08:41:00.000-07:00

Caleb is still using the potty so well. We have accidents on occasion here and there, but that is okay. He asked me a few times to go this past week so I was very happy, but I am still taking him every 30-40 minutes to be safe! Still no luck with the poop, although we had one little nugget this week which lit up his face so brightly! All I can do is be consistent and continue with my praise! He is doing so well, I can't be disappointed in our continued progress this past week. Being down to 2 diapers max in a day for nap and bed time is also a nice feeling. Heading into week 4!

Potty Training Week 2 Diary!

2010-05-11T10:43:00.000-07:00

Week 2 has come to a close and we are still in the same boat. Caleb is still being taken to the potty every 30-45 minutes and does not have any desire to poop in the potty. Maybe he does not feel the sensation just yet, I don't know, but I am going to continue this journey as I have been the past 2 weeks and just hope that one of these days he will ask to go potty or poop on his own. Despite a few accidents this week, he is doing so well! We can run errands and play outside and be normal, just have to take our potty breaks to be reminded of the big boy milestone we are trying to accomplish!

We have filled 2 star sticker charts that came with our potty and nearly finished our jumping beans in the rewards jar. We no longer use the little potty, but graduated to the big one with our CARS seat. I keep emphasizing that we will get to go to Chuck-e-Cheese once we can poop in the potty, but he would rather go in his pants or in his diaper at nap or bed time. I am over poopy underwear, but I know in time we will get there.

Wish us luck in week 3!

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T11:43:00.000-07:00

I was inspired to highlight a few mother's in my life who have made a difference and should feel appreciated today.

Patricia Harrington: Although God only gave me 11 years with you, I am thankful for you. I don't remember much before you got sick, but I know you wanted the very best for me and you gave me your best. I love looking at pictures of us because all I see is your smiles and your warm embrace. I love you for fighting for us and not giving up until there was no more left to give. Thank you for inspiring me to do the same with my family. I love you Mom! (10-30-88)

Julie Little: My dearest friend since 3rd grade. Words cannot express your faithfulness and love for me over the past 25 years. You define what is good and true for a friendship to become a special bond of sisterhood. You are my first call whether it be a "mommy" question or to reminisce about an elementary school friend we recently found on Facebook. I cannot imagine my life without you in it and I am so very thankful for you.

Lindsay Harrington: My older sister and new mother. I am thankful for your generous, compassionate heart. You give so much of yourself and expect nothing in return. I celebrate you on this day for having the chance to experience one of the best gifts in life, being a mother.

Mary Snyder: Before we met, I was a motherless daughter. I longed to fill that void in my life and you welcomed me with open arms 10 years later when I started dating Kerry. For the past 12 years you have loved me like your own, been a mentor mother to me and the godly woman I hope to someday become. Thank you for touching my life and always being there for me.

Betty Harrington: My Granny. Thank you for spoiling me as a kid and making your house an exciting place to visit. Thank you for tricking me into believing in Santa and for all of the trips we took as a family that I do not remember. Thank you for giving up your life to come and care for us after losing Uncle Rick and Mom. Thank you for exemplifying unconditional love to Dad, Lindsay and I for so many years.

Linda Berryman: A mother and new grandmother to my sister's daughter. A woman who exhibits such joy and a love for life. I am grateful for you because you too have been like a mother to my sister for many years. I can't thank you enough for loving my sister as your own. A cancer survivor, now a cancer fighter again. I pray you will win this fight.

Bethany Odegaard: A dear friend from college in San Diego. We parted ways for 6 years only to be reunited again in Indiana. You are a model mother to me. You encourage and inspire me to be the best I can be. I look up to you for godly wisdom and strength in my times of need. You behold an amazing love that is overflowing and clearly written on the faces of your children.

Potty Training Week 1 Diary!

2010-05-05T17:35:00.000-07:00

Last week when I decided to attempt trying the potty with Caleb, I wasn't so convinced he was ready. I thought, let's take it slow, baby steps and see if he starts to get the hang of it. The book I have for potty training boys illustrated some signs of readiness that Caleb was not showing (dry during nap or asking to use the potty) and I didn't want to rush into it, but I have also been told to not take it slowly either or the process can take a LONG time. My goal really was to get him trained before #2 arrives, so mid June and I always like to accomplish my set goals earlier rather than later.

Day 1: Trial Run. Caleb used the potty every time I put him on it. What? I wasn't consistent, I kept asking him if needed to go and every time he would say no, so I would take him a few times throughout the day. We started out with a few wet underpants but that was my fault for just winging it and giving it a trial run. A boost of encouragement came from my dear friend Bethany who said "GO! GO! GO! HE IS READY!!!!"

Day 2: Ready to Train? I decided to be consistent today because he asked to wear his big boy pants again rather than a diaper. Okay. We are getting somewhere. I would take him every 20 minutes or so and EVERY TIME he went on the potty! What? I was shocked. Is he already getting the hang of this? I didn't think it would be so easy. His reward is a jumping bean and a star sticker for his potty chart. No accidents except for poop which is expected.

Day 3: Training full force! We are on a roll. I have now bumped our time to 30 minute increments and he has gone every time. No accidents except for poop.

Day 4: First outing: I have bumped our time to 30-40 minutes and still no accidents! I am seriously amazed at our progress. Even though my book says not to go out for a few weeks, I go anyway to see how he does. We use the potty before we leave house and when we get to destination. Caleb is scared of the big potty because he has been using a little one for the past few days. He does not want to fall in, so I promise to hold his hands and keep him steady. YEAH! We did it! Then its my turn and my adorable son offers to hold my hands as well. While we are out, I just keep my eye on our time and make sure we use the potty. Success!

Day 5: Going strong. I have now bumped us to 45 minutes roughly with no accidents!

Day 6: Church: I was a bit worried about church because although they have potty training in progress stickers for the kids to wear, watching tons of kids and keeping track of who might need to be taken to the potty is tough. We went when I dropped him off and he managed to stay dry for an hour or so! Luckily we had pooped prior to church so I had hoped there wasn't one during service! Success! We made it!

Day 7: Week 1 Complete! Wow! I am speechless. I honestly didn't think we would have it this easy. I have trained him to go in the potty or at least hold it until we get there. We did have one accident today only because I forgot to take him in at one point after our walk. He is still not telling me when he has to go, so taking him is still key. Hopefully he will catch on in the coming weeks. We need to understand that poop goes in the potty too, not in our pants. He keeps saying, "We dump it in the potty" because I have shown him his poopy pants and where the poop should go. We graduated to the big potty with a child friendly CARS themed seat which he now loves.

I am very thankful for all of the support of friends and family who have encouraged me in this even though I didn't think he was quite ready. I was scared I may be rushing him. For those of you contemplating this next milestone in life, don't worry about finding a good potty training book. YOU DON'T NEED IT! Caleb wasn't showing all of the signs of readiness and I still attempted to train and he surprised me by showing me he was ready! Its all about consistency and routine visits to the potty. Second week, here we come. Can I please get a poop in the potty?

Why I like age 2

2010-04-21T18:03:00.000-07:00

Age two has got to be one of the best and worst ages. Best, because your baby suddenly turns into this talking machine who can have conversations with you and communicate their needs and wants rather well. Worst because of fits and tantrums that everyone warns about. Not a day goes by that I am not amused by something Caleb says or does. He is a funny kid to have around!

He loves to smell flowers, real or fake. Enjoys picking dandelions and having me blow on them so he can do a dandelion dance.

Loves to take walks on our trails by the river so he can throw rocks or sticks or near the pine cone trees, but has never once picked a pine cone to take home. Just likes to visit them up the road. Checks mostly every tree for a bird's nest and enjoys using his binoculars to see things up close!

If there is a puddle to splash in, he is all over it.

He LOVES dinosaurs, trains, trucks and cars.

His favorite show is Charlie & Lola thanks to my introduction of it, he has not grown tired of it yet! Will ask to watch certain episodes I have on the DVR.

One of his favorite questions to ask all throughout the day is, "What are you doing? What is that doing? Whether it be a bug, plant, car, piece of dirt, rock, wormy, his feet, etc. "What are my feet doing?" What is that bug doing?" He has a desire to learn so I can't blame him. I guess when he asks the same question repeatedly and I give him the same answer repeatedly it can get a little tiring...but that is the joy of a 2 year old!

Caleb smelled Speedy's feet (one of my favorite smells is puppy feet) and says, "That smells good."

I told Caleb we would go to the museum one day and he exclaims, "Woohoo! I love the museum! I love dinosaurs, balls and hula hoops!"

"Let's play dinosaurs Seaby dog."

Rubbing my belly he says, "I wait for it."

"Let's sit on the couch and share some cocoa Momma." Who can resist that kind of request?

"That truck is dirty. It needs to go to the car wash."

I ask Caleb for a kiss. "Sorry. I'm playing cars."

When he wants to see baby, he lifts up my shirt. "I want to see it."

"Please need super powers."

Caleb wanted some of my pulpy OJ one morning. "It has feathers in it." I told him it was pulp. " I need pulp now!"

Caleb stands at bedroom door one night and shouts out to Kerry, "Please need drink in here!" This has become a nightly ritual if we have not already brought it in the room!

Pretending to be a frog by squatting and jumping on trail. Saying ribbit and sticking out his tongue to catch flies.

He fell in pond while fishing with Kerry. He has such a sad face in the tubby and tells me, "I fell in the pond. I not fall in the pond anymore."

I asked Caleb if he needed anything at the store. "Tomatoes, strawberries and donuts." Things I previously mentioned I was out of. What a memory this kid has!

Caleb didn't want to go to the post office the other day so he surprised me with this comment. "We can't go. It's closed." Nice try buddy.

Getting Caleb up from naps now is not easy. The other day I said, "Caleb, its time to wake up." "I'm still sleeping." and he puts his head back down. Once he is up, he walks out onto the patio with his hands covering his ears. "What's that terrible noise?" It was geese honking in our yard!

He is also quirky about certain things in his room during nap and bedtime. I recently got him a dinosaur measuring chart that hangs in his room that MUST come down while he sleeps. Sometimes its a car left in his room or a pair of pants on the chair. He cannot keep his water in his room either. It has to go back in the fridge. "Stick it in the fridge." Library books cannot be in his room either, they belong in the living room. Its quirky, but funny behavior, possibly all stalling techniques, but nevertheless, funny characteristics of my 2 year old!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-07T12:27:00.000-07:00

Saturday night we told Caleb when he woke up that the Easter Bunny will have come and hidden a basket for him to find. First thing he asked for on Easter. "Where is my Easter Basket?" He wasn't sure where to look so Daddy guided him into our spare room. The Easter Bunny hid his basket in the ball pit! He climbed in to find a fun basket of treats and toys! While combing through it, he asked where the Easter Bunny went. Of course he wanted a treat right away, but I said we had to eat breakfast first and Momma would break the rules today!

Later in the day we went over to the Odegaard's to celebrate with our family friends. They are our family away from family and we try and get together as much as possible. Our kids love each other and we really have fun together! Another family, the Poorman's from church also joined us. We had an Easter egg hunt for the kids which was so fun to watch! Caleb finally figured out there were treats inside the eggs, so he would try and break them open rather than collect them in his basket! After the hunt we enjoyed a lovely meal prepared by Chef Bethany herself. Always delicious! Caleb chose not to eat dinner so no Easter treats could be had. He was fine with it until we got home and the tantrum began. It was funny, Bethany sent me a text saying Caleb had won the award for best behavior amongst all of the kids right as we got home. I let her know she was missing out on a no treat tantrum that was erupting! Caleb couldn't stop crying and whining for treats so he lost his bedtime stories which upset him even more! He eventually conked out....and what did he ask for the next morning? Treats. The next morning? Treats. I think this will continue until we decide they have all disappeared so suddenly!

Hoping everyone had a joyous Easter with their loved ones!

Problem Solved!

2010-03-17T13:25:00.000-07:00

Some of you might be wondering from my previous posts how the Toddler Bed transition has played out. Are we still having issues? No. I am proud to say we have conquered yet another milestone. This one took longer than expected, but I am so happy we have finally settled back into our routine.

We discovered that leaving Caleb's night light on all night was key. He was waking up and probably scared of the dark and wanted to feel safe with Mommy and Daddy. This typically happens around age 2. Kerry also decided to leave his door closed rather than cracked so if he did wake up, he couldn't leave his room. Both of these tactics have worked brilliantly and we have had no early wakings or nighttime visitors! Yeah!

Naps have also gotten back into routine. I can't say we are always 7 for 7, but for the most part, he takes at least 5 a week which I am thankful for. If not, he quietly plays in his room so I can have a break and rest time too if needed. I have learned that putting him down closer to 2 has done the trick, by that time he is ready for a nap!

Having a peaceful night sleep again has been wonderful. His stalling techniques at bedtime have also gotten shorter because we don't give in to his countless requests any longer. He may cry for a few minutes, but eventually settles down!

Visit to Phoenix!

2010-03-13T13:18:00.000-08:00

Last week we headed out to Phoenix to visit Kerry's family. An early spring getaway if you will, but it wasn't so sunny this trip. Our weather was quite similar in Noblesville while we were away, imagine that! We got to spend 5 days with them and catch up with some old friends as well. It was nice to just relax and not have to worry about Caleb 24/7 because Nana & Papa were glad to entertain him! He had a blast with them, tiring Papa out with the same routine of trucks, dinosaurs, golf, pool table, dancing, walks, etc!

One of the highlights of this trip for me was reuniting with an elementary school friend who I had learned lived in the Phoenix area shortly after I moved to Indiana. If only I had known sooner! We were able to grab lunch and catch up on our lives over a few hours time. It was like we had just seen each other last week, although it had been 20 years! I was so glad we got to see each other again after all these years.

Kerry and I were able to have a lovely date night out to the movies and dinner. It was nice to have the free babysitting that we miss so dearly! We had a great visit with family one last time before the baby is born as I don't foresee much traveling the remainder of this year with two kiddos! We were able to enjoy some missed foods like In N Out and Carne Asada. Papa also got me into Crunch n Munch and Carmel Tootsie Pops while I was there....more sweets this pregnant lady doesn't need!

Caleb did great in the airport pulling his Toy Story suitcase and on the plane! He loves flying and going to see Nana & Papa!

I spoke too soon!

2010-02-14T14:03:00.000-08:00

Just when I thought we may have accomplished this toddler bed transition, the battle continues. This past week Caleb didn't nap which is completely out of the ordinary. I understand its a new found freedom. I get it. What I don't get is that if he chooses to nap, its in the oddest of places. Like his chair or the floor or when he did nap yesterday (thank goodness!) he chose the bare mattress on the crib converted bed that we have not moved out yet. (I just stripped it because he was not sleeping in that one at all until now and I just want it out of the room to avoid confusion!) We kept both beds in the room hoping he would choose one. I know he is tired. Regardless of whether he chooses to nap or not, he has to have quiet time in his room for at least an hour and a half. Today it was a noise fest and destruction, pulling everything out and leaving it scattered on the floor. Finally at the hour and half mark I pulled him out and asked him to lay quiet in my bed. He soon fell asleep 10 minutes later.

It has to be a security issue because he says he does not like to go to sleep anymore, he now wakes in the night and wants to sleep with us. This did not happen pre-toddler bed. A part of me is glad I started this transition now so I wouldn't have to deal with the longevity of it come May when I really won't have much energy. I am hoping and praying each night gets better. I don't sleep soundly anymore because I am always listening for footsteps. When will he come wake me? Will he sleep through the night this time? I have to admit I have failed at putting him back in his bed at 5am because I'd rather sleep, but then the little guy takes up my entire space rather than sleeping in the middle of us. Last night I told myself I would take him back and I did at 345am. Then I was awoken again at 545am and just had him stay since Kerry is out of town anyway. I have to break this cycle now and soon he will learn and he must stay in his bed. I just have to say I am glad I set my goals early in case I hit a roadblock like this one.

I know I am not alone in this battle, I just didn't think it would be this hard. He has done so well with all transitions. I just hope he welcomes baby okay and doesn't try and climb in his old crib in the middle of the night!

Toddler Bed Triumph!

2010-02-03T17:42:00.000-08:00

Maybe I shouldn't rejoice too soon, but after my breaking point last post, we have had a complete 180 in our toddler bed transition. He is actually taking naps in it and falling asleep at night in it. Our solution was easy really, it is what we have always done when tantrums or crying happened at bedtime. Let him cry it out. Staying in the room with him and doing what he wants did not solve any problems. We as parents are in control and he knows that. He learned very quickly over the weekend and the crying maybe lasts 5 minutes now. He may still try and prolong going to bed as long as possible, but we all know when he is tired. I also decided it was best to start our routine a little earlier so we can have more time to wind down and read stories so he doesn't feel like we are rushing him off to bed. Yes, sometimes he may try and pull some tricks like "I don't like my socks. Please take my socks off" so we will come back in one more time, but then he quiets down quickly. I now look forward to rest time and bed time again as a peaceful time and not stressful. Amen.

Toddler Bed Troubles :(

2010-01-29T17:44:00.000-08:00

I don't even know what to say, except I didn't think it would be this hard. I remember nearly 2 weeks ago he was jumping for joy in excitement over his big boy dinosaur bed and I had only hoped he would be that excited to sleep in it. I have been reading many sources and seeking advice from those who have gone through this transition and I am not having much success. I know he is only 2, but he is smart and knows what kind of game he is playing. Momma played the fool for peace of mind these past few weeks, but no more. Tonight after many unsuccessful attempts and prayer I finally had to leave him to cry, scream and bang on the door as much as it broke my heart. I am not sure if he made it back to his bed or not, we will soon find out.

Tonight I broke down in tears begging for him to stay in bed and I could see the sadness and fear in his eyes, but he kept fighting it. I guess seeing Momma sad didn't help either. Now I hear silence. This too shall pass. Just try and pass quickly! Please!

Big Boy Bed!

2010-01-19T18:49:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday we converted Caleb's crib into the toddler bed. We had been telling him about his new dinosaur room and at first he was hesitant and wanted to stay in his crib. After a few weeks, he started to come around when I would ask him if he wanted his dinosaur room. He was more than excited as Kerry began to dismantle his bed. He couldn't wait! He wanted to help get it all set up! When he saw his new dinosaur bedding he was thrilled! Triceratops! T-Rex! Pterodactyl! He wanted to go nigh nigh right away! It wasn't bedtime yet, but I had hoped that he would go nigh nigh just as excited later.....

No such luck. He climbed out immediately and non stop for about 2 hours. We tried the Super Nanny approach of continually putting him back in his bed without saying anything. No such luck. We both took shifts of sitting in the room without making eye contact. He stayed in his bed, but was not settling down. A quarter of 11pm, I went to bed and Kerry had taken the late shift. The next day nap time was a struggle. Getting out of bed and twisting the door knob begging to get out. He finally gave up after 20 minutes and crashed on the floor beside his door. Poor guy. Bedtime was still a bit of a struggle, but easier than the first night. Today he woke up and called for us. This time he had the freedom to come to our room and it took him awhile to figure that out. I kept calling, "Caleb. Come here. Come to Momma." He would call back. Next thing you hear is the pitter patter of little feet running into our room and climbing into our bed. That was the best. Nap time today I dealt with the same issue of getting out and doorknob twisting, but it only lasted maybe 10 minutes. Again, I find him asleep next to the door. Bedtime was much easier tonight. A little crying, a little begging for certain things to prolong going to bed, but no repeated escapes from the bed! He settled down rather quickly! Day 3 nap time was normal. He stayed in his bed without a problem! Yippee!

Lots of transitions come with raising children. I don't know that I was aware of all of these from the start. I never look forward to any of them because I always fear the worst and thankfully Caleb has transitioned nicely over the past 2 years. I know each day will get easier. Next transition is potty training. After that, becoming a big brother. Then I get to look forward to all of these transitions with Baby #2 and hope I am as lucky as I have been.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T08:33:00.000-08:00

Its crazy how time flies and another year has passed. I like to reflect on blessings in the past year, things I am grateful for in no special order:

1) Kerry finding a new job in Indiana where he can be joyful doing what he loves.
2) Selling our house in AZ in less than 48 hrs during the worst real estate market and having two bidders, selling for more than we listed.
3) Finding the most beautiful home in Noblesville. Like I did with our AZ home, walked right in and fell in love. We were competing with another buyer who offered more and they accepted our offer instead. Amazing!
4) Being welcomed and embraced by our new church family at Grace Community Church.
5) Being reunited with old friends from San Diego, the Odegaards.
6) Enjoying a beautiful swan in the pond in my backyard.
7) Having a nature trail right across the street.
8) Snow.
9) Thermals.
10) Good Health.
11) Family.
12) Celebrating 8 years of marriage to my soul mate.
13) My precious son Caleb who brings so much joy to my heart, I had to try and create another! Which we did learn this year will be born around June 19, 2010.
14) My lovable fur ball of a dog, Speedy who survived cancer this year.
15) My BFF Julie, whom I've known now for nearly 25 years. Our friendship is a true gift and blessing. I have never found another like her.
16) Knowing the joy of the Lord. Trusting in Him always to care for me no matter the circumstance.
17) Carmel Sea Salt Bark from Cost Plus.
18) Being called Momma.
19) Fall leaves.
20) Snow in Tubby

Christmas in Cali!

2009-12-29T11:14:00.000-08:00

Despite all of the weather conditions surrounding the Midwest, we had no problems with our flights to and fro. Thank goodness! We had to leave for the airport at 530am on Christmas Eve, waking Caleb from his slumber. I thought he may fall back asleep on the way to the airport, but the minute Kerry put him in the car he says, "I wake up! I wake up!" At the airport to kill time, Caleb loves to ride on the moving walkways, or alligators as he calls them. Anything moving really is an alligator. Elevators, escalators, somehow all got named alligators. We arrived into Sacramento around noon so we were able to put Caleb down for a nap right on schedule. He slept wonderfully this trip! Took all of his naps, went to bed peacefully. Just woke up on east coast time at 530am every morning, but would go back to sleep for an hour once I moved him into my bed.

Santa (my Dad) stopped by Christmas Eve to see Caleb. At first Caleb said, "I don't like Santa," but soon he warmed up to him after he gave him a big candy cane to play with. My family tradition on Christmas Eve is having a lobster dinner, which we enjoyed! Yum! My sister is quite the hostess. Christmas morning Caleb had more presents to open! (This was our 3rd Christmas celebration! We did ours Wednesday morning before traveling and then a skype video with Nana & Papa in AZ) My sister got him Monty Rex, a very cool animated dinosaur which he loved. His reaction was priceless! I am so glad Kerry caught it on video. He said, "Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" with his hands on his head! He has tons of dinosaurs now to decorate his new big boy room before the baby arrives. For dinner, my sister prepared Prime Rib which was delicious! We get so spoiled when we visit!

The remainder of our visit was just hanging out, enjoying ourselves. We did miss out on after Christmas shopping, but a part of me didn't need to partake in that chaos this year. I actually like to go later once things are completely marked down, like a small tabletop tree I got last year for 49 cents! Caleb liked to carry that around this year for fun!

We had In N Out for lunch one day so Kerry could get his fix before we headed back home. We actually flew out of Modesto which is an hour from Lodi so we stayed at my Dad's Sunday night. I shopped around for the cheapest flights this holiday season and saved us $300 by flying different airlines each way and departing out of Modesto. Never again. Talk about a shady little terminal. They had plenty of employees there and I was thinking, this is a one man show. You don't need 3 ticket agents, 5 TSA agents and 2 car rental companies. We did have to take a small prop plane to San Francisco first, but it was only 20 minutes. Kerry hates them! I told him this was the last time I try and save us money by giving you a slight heart attack when you look at the size of the plane. The rest of our travels were fine. Caleb managed to stay up all day long and conked out on the way home from the airport. He was a trooper!

We had a lovely visit with my family, but missed our first White Christmas back home in Indy. Next year.

It's Official!

2009-12-15T12:37:00.001-08:00

Most of you have heard the news, but in case you have not, Kerry and I are expecting Snyder baby #2 come June 19, 2010. I am in my 13th week and feeling great, besides being worn down at Monkey Joe's (bounce house for kids) following Caleb through tunnels and slides today! Good exercise, but I am not going to be able to take too many trips there in a few months!

What is neat about this pregnancy is that I get to share it alongside many other friends who are also expecting, near and far. One friend from my playgroup has a daughter Caleb's age who was born on September 26th, 2007 and Caleb on the 28th. She too is pregnant again with TWINS and is due 1 day after me, but will surely delivery earlier carrying two! So cool to have our kids nearly the same ages! My sister is also pregnant with her first child, due in April and I am sad I am so far away to not be able to see the changes in both of us as we go through this journey together. Another gal from my old playgroup in AZ is also expecting #2 a few weeks after me. Funny how there tends to be a season for weddings and pregnancies.

Kerry and I are excited. Caleb doesn't really understand it quite yet. We tried to explain that I have a baby in my belly and it will grow bigger and bigger. Caleb looks down at his and starts rubbing it, wondering if he has one inside! I know he will be a great big brother once the surprise arrives. Soon, he will be saying goodbye to his Curious George nursery and we will be turning it into a big boy room full of Dinosaurs! Hopefully he is okay with his sibling inheriting George for awhile :)

Thanksgiving in AZ

2009-11-30T19:24:00.001-08:00

Last week we spent Thanksgiving in Phoenix. I caught a nice cold Sunday before we left which made for some misery most of the week, but I survived. Caleb loves flying on the airplanes, he did so well, one stretch being 4 hours because it was cheaper to fly to Cleveland first! Once we arrived our first stop was In-n-Out, a place Kerry had been thirsting for since we left. He said that the Veggie Tales Cheeseburger song was about his love for In-N-Out. Go figure. Its Caleb's favorite too. We got plenty of quality time with Nana & Papa, seeing a few close friends that we could squeeze in, but just not enough time for everyone. Hopefully next time! We got to enjoy some Salerno's Italian food and yummy carne asada, one food we have yet to find here in Indy. Oh, don't forget the Turkey on Thanksgiving! Caleb actually slept through dinner, but enjoyed some turkey, mashed potatoes and bread on his own once he woke up! Caleb also learned how to climb out of the pack n play while at Nana & Papa's which made for bedtime battles most of the week! I know our time is off a few hours, but not going to bed until 10-11pm at night was wearing me down! He was just too excited about his newfound freedom, he could not bare to sleep!

We got home safely, back to our chilly weather. Caleb keeps asking about riding on an airplane. I keep saying, a few more weeks and we are off on another plane to California to see my family! Oh, how I dread the bedtime battle there too.....sigh.

Thanks Nana & Papa for a wonderful visit. Caleb loves you so much!

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T18:08:00.001-07:00

This year was fun because Caleb could actually walk door to door and tricker treat. He was a Stegosaurus. "They eat plants and grass." He loves dinosaurs. Talks about them daily and likes to visit them at the Children's Museum. We went over to the Chandler's neighborhood along with the Odegaard's and started early, only having success at a few homes, but it was still very fun to see him participate! Kerry is in Haiti so he missed out on his first real Halloween, but that is okay. There is always next year!

Happy Halloween!

21 Years

2009-10-30T10:33:00.000-07:00

Today I remember my mom who I lost to Ovarian Cancer 21 years ago. Being only 11, I went to school the next day because I was so excited about dressing up for Halloween. Crazy, I know. Maybe that was my way of denying what had happened the day before or maybe I wanted to find something joyful in the midst of my sorrow. I don't know.

I took Caleb to his first Halloween party today, all dressed up as a dinosaur. So cute. He loved being around the other kids and dancing. That boy can dance. I realize today and everyday how precious being a mother really is. How I can't take any day for granted because you never know when your time is up.

Its comforting for me to know that I get to experience what my mom got to experience with my sister and I. A truly precious gift of being a mom. We sign up willingly, never knowing what battles we may face or when our contract may come to an end. Make each day count.

I love and miss you mom. I am blessed to have spent 11 years with you.

Mom Break

2009-10-14T10:41:00.001-07:00

After reading in parenting magazines again and again about how a break is needed from parenting once your child hits 2, I decided to treat myself for my 32nd birthday to a weekend away! At first, I wasn't sure if Kerry was up for it, but he quickly agreed to watching Caleb for the weekend. That was easy! I hadn't seen my BFF Julie since January, so I arranged a past due visit!

The airport drop off was tough. Most of the way there, Caleb needed to hold my hand in the car which only made saying goodbye harder. We both cried, but I knew it would be short term tears. I got in late Friday night, but woke up around 630 the next day. It was nice to just lay in bed and not have to attend to anyone. I almost wasn't sure what to do with myself! Julie and I got to spend a majority of the day shopping and dining. It was great. No kids. I miss that time with her. I do not miss spending nearly an hour in Naartjie while she decided what outfits to get for her girls, but that is my best friend and I love her for the indecisiveness! After church on Sunday we watched the girls play, had lunch and some down time before heading back out to dinner to one of my San Diego favorites, Miguel's. It was a girls night out, with her oldest daughter Ashlyn. She is great company. She talks and talks and talks some more, but what do you expect from a near 6 year old?

Early Monday I was off to the airport and my mom break was nearly over. I had talked to my boys everyday to check in and it seemed that Caleb wasn't missing me too much. He was having fun "Daddy time" and barely noticed I was gone! It sure was good to see him when they picked me up. I missed him, but I knew taking a few days off would be good for me, for him and for Daddy.

Caleb is 2!

2009-09-28T19:22:00.000-07:00

Oh, how time flies. I can hardly believe my boy is 2. That he can say, "I'm gonna be 2." "That's a big number 2." I planned to have a Charlie & Lola themed party this year because he loves that show thanks to me. I love it and hoped that he would too someday. I figure this is my only opportunity because next year it may not be of interest any longer. I ordered a party pack online and unfortunately it only came with a pack of pink Lola invitations. Pink. Luckily the rest of the kit was not all pink. I was worried what people might think of me sending out a pink invitation for my son. I even had to call my best friend to get her advice before popping them in the mail. I later saw that blue Charlie invitations were available for purchase from the UK, but I wasn't about to go that extra mile.

We kept telling Caleb that Nana & Papa were coming to visit for his 2nd birthday. Who's coming to visit for your birthday I would ask. "Nana & Papa. I'm gonna be 2. Birthday. Play football in the leaves." They arrived Friday morning to find my son dancing with excitement at the door. What a special treat. I am not sure if Caleb realizes we moved far away from them, that we are no longer in AZ. I am sure he doesn't have a clue where we are this early in age.

We had a small party on Saturday evening. I didn't want to overwhelm him too much like I did last year, but it happened again regardless. We had to wake him from a short nap right into his party when he usually wakes up with some Charlie & Lola so he was out of routine already. This led to constant screaming and crying for a good half hour into the party. I was a bit embarrassed and kept apologizing, funny thing is, none of them cared. Finally I turned on some Charlie & Lola and he calmed down and ended up having a really good time. I gave each kid a balloon with a special tag with their name and address to release into the sky. Charlie & Lola did the same on an episode. We enjoyed our Charlie & Lola cake outside on the deck while the kids played on Caleb's new sandbox......or trampoline. Caleb thought it was a trampoline and tried to jump on the cover. The other kids joined in the fun too! After opening presents, it was time to say goodbye to friends. I sent them off with a goody bag filled with some themed treats like a twisty straw and a little flower pot with a tulip bulb and instruction sheet for growing a plant. There was an episode titled, "I wonder what plant I am growing."

I was sad I didn't get to serve Charlie & Lola's favorite drink; pink milk, but that is okay. Caleb always asks for it. He sure does love Charlie & Lola so I am glad I could throw him a fun party.

Happy Birthday Caleb! You are my favorite and my best! (Line from C&L)

The Binky Fairy!

2009-09-09T10:37:00.000-07:00

When all of the parenting resources advise you to rid your baby of the binky at 6 months, you think they are crazy. You desire sleep and the binky helps satisfy that need for your baby, so you let them keep it for awhile longer. Then you start to pick a date in your mind of when you will take it away and that day is dreaded in your mind, but its far off, so you don't think about it much until it gets closer and closer. My goal was 18 months, then we were moving across country and I couldn't take a comfort away from Caleb so we had to extend it. Goal 2: By his second birthday there will be no binky. Luckily Caleb is only a binky sleeper, so I figured this process might be easy, but you don't realize how much of a routine something becomes. When he goes down, he always asks for binky and lamby. Routine. I also thought having lamby to lean on once the binky was gone might be enough but Kerry said they were a team.

I researched the best ways to rid your child of their binky. I could just trim the top off, that way the sucking is not satisfied. I could tie it to some balloons and let him release it goodbye into the sky. I could have him mail it to a baby in need, have him throw it away cold turkey or have the binky fairy pay a visit. The binky fairy seemed most logical to me for his age so I began to search for his big boy present. What could symbolize being a big boy? My first thought was a tricycle since he sees so many kids on bikes and wants to be like them. I started to look online, not realizing that tricycles cost a million dollars. Really? I had no idea. Then I found the Roadmaster tricycle on amazon for $38 and it had received good reviews, plus I had $30 in amazon gift certificates so that was a winner! I ordered it prior to leaving for Chicago and was hoping the Binky Fairy could drop in on Labor Day to do the deed. When we got home, it was here. 1 more day. I was nervous, but deep down I was hoping he would surprise me with the transition. I told him that the Binky Fairy called and said she was coming to take his binky in the night and give it to a baby in need, but she would leave him a big boy prize in exchange. His face lit up, "Big boy prize!". I don't think he understood the concept, but I was hopeful it may work.

Tuesday morning he woke up asking for his binky. Oh no. I told him the Binky Fairy came and she brought him a big boy prize and wheeled it into his room. He was ecstatic! "A bike! A bike! I want to ride the bike!" The thought of binky had quickly faded now that he had a bike. Up until nap time came around. This is where thoughts of, "Did I make the right decision? Am I a horrible mother?" came into play. He cried and cried not for his binky at first, just for me. So I went in his room and laid down on the floor hoping it would help calm him down and go to sleep. No chance. He kept talking and talking and bouncing around so I had to leave and let him cry it out. Nearly 2 hours into his nap time he fell asleep. I felt awful. He woke from his nap an hour later crying and screaming wanting nothing to do with me. I tried to lift him out of his crib and he wouldn't let me. "No. No." he screams. I walked away to give him some time. Still cries. Then I hear him screaming, "That is my binky momma. That is my binky momma." My heart is breaking. What have I done? I have done the best for my child. A part of me regrets letting it go on for so long, but he was just a binky sleeper so I didn't think the transition would be terrifying! My dentist told me that thumb sucking causes problems with their teeth, not binkys. Another dentist says the binky will mess up their teeth. Who is right? Because I don't know for sure, I had to do it now to possibly prevent expensive dental bills down the road. Just ask my Dad how much my mouth is worth. Only people who can afford top of the line tricycles can afford dental work! My goodness!

The afternoon was a rough detox. I know now what drug addicts must go through. I was fearful of bedtime, but planned on being up half the night. I wasn't. Caleb went to bed quietly with no request for that binky. He woke up normally and asked for his bike. One day. I will take that.

The Windy City!

2009-09-07T11:00:00.000-07:00

We headed to Chicago Friday morning for an end of summer family getaway. We got a good deal on a hotel package and the drive is a quick 3 hours from Noblesville. The Red Sox were in town playing the White Sox so we had to go! Caleb did so well in the car. He watched Happy Feet most of the way, but he was a trooper! We got into Chicago around 130 and checked into our hotel so we could put Caleb down for a nap.....which he did not take. Kerry picked us up some huge, delicious slices of sausage pizza at a nearby spot and we enjoyed a bite before catching the hotel shuttle down to Navy Pier for the evening. Caleb kept talking about the huge ferris wheel at Navy Pier so we got some tickets to ride it. However, once inside he was not so thrilled. He didn't want to sit for the 7 minute ride! We also rode the carousel a few times before grabbing some dinner and Garrett's cheese and carmel popcorn for dessert which was recommended, so I had to get it! Cheese and caramel together does not sound appetizing, but it was delicious! Thank you Cheri and Lori for the yummy treat! We took our first city bus back to the hotel, cruising down the Magnificent Mile with a very sleepy kid who was getting the sillies! Caleb loved to run to the "alligator" (a.k.a elevator) in the hotel and push the buttons. I think that was the highlight of the trip for him!

Saturday morning we enjoyed our free breakfast quickly before catching the morning shuttle to the Field Museum. I say quickly because our morning was a little chaotic as the hotel's water went out while I was showering! I resorted to rinsing the shampoo out with some bottled water, but luckily it was restored a few minutes later so I could hop back in! Caleb wanted to see the BIG DINOSAURS and he of course talked about them the entire way there. We also walked around Soldier Field before grabbing another bus back to the hotel and putting Caleb down for a quick nap before the Red Sox game! This time, he took one thankfully, but we had to wake him up an hour into it and he was so tired still! I hate doing that! Caleb did great at the baseball game and we had some extra seating near us which was nice. The Red Sox got spanked by the White Sox in a very quick game, 5-1. They were already in the 5th inning an hour into it. We left before the 9th inning to beat some traffic and headed back to the hotel for some relaxing pool time before dinner. Rather than walk back into the city, we had dinner at the same spot Kerry found the yummy pizza. Caleb and I shared some pasta which was fantastic, but way too big for one person! I wish I could have saved it as a leftover! Watching him eat "noodles" is so cute. I am glad I found something else this boy likes to eat! He can still be picky with food and loves to close his eyes and pretend he is invisible if we offer him a food he doesn't want.

Sunday morning we enjoyed another free breakfast before heading to the Shedd Aquarium. This place is pretty remarkable. We got there just when it opened and it was packed! We were able to navigate through the entire place in a few hours, but quickly. Plus when you have a little guy running around, it makes you look faster! We saw the Dolphin show which was actually a letdown for such a well known place! The Dolphin Show at the Indy Zoo is much better! We learned how the Beluga Whales were transferred via Fedex during a remodel to Connecticut. I did not know you could Fedex Beluga Whales, but I saw the whole process on video! Amazing and quite risky I imagine.

By early Sunday afternoon our trip to Chicago had come to an end. Soon after hopping on the freeway, Caleb actually fell asleep in his carseat. This is unusual....and unfortunately only lasted about 20 minutes because he couldn't get comfortable. The poor guy kept moving his head around, it finally woke him up. He requested some Charlie & Lola for the ride home and before I knew it, we were back in Noblesville!

Chicago was a great place to getaway for the weekend. It actually wasn't too windy! We had a fun time together as a family and that is most important! I am sure we will visit again sometime soon!

Momma's Helper

2009-08-24T12:03:00.000-07:00

2 weeks ago I started watching my friend Chris' daughter, Emma who is a year younger than Caleb, twice a week. I wanted to support her as a friend and a mom as she headed back to teaching high school and was in a bind for childcare. I am anti-daycare and wanted to reach out and offer my helping hand in hope that she could avoid that option. I also wanted to get the practice of caring for two children as Kerry and I are hoping to expand our family in the near future!

I must say that taking care of 2 is not as crazy as I had thought! I think I have lucked out because Emma is an extremely happy, easy going baby, plus she is not mobile yet so that makes a big difference! Caleb loves to play with baby Emma. The other day he was anxiously awaiting her arrival at our door. He likes to help me push the stroller on our walk, feed her bottle, read to her about the history of the Red Sox and also play! Although she is better about sharing than he is! He even put away her diaper in the diaper champ all by himself! I was so pleased! Oh and let's not forget about the Happy Feet! He dances around and she sits and smacks her feet on the ground! So cute!

I am encouraged mostly by Caleb, that he will be an awesome big brother and a great helper to me! He has not shown jealously, but love and playfulness with Emma. Yeah, he may offer her some crayons for coloring which she decides to munch on or bang on the door for her to wake up from her morning nap, but its all in good fun! I have not attempted to take them both out in the car, we have stuck close to home as I am not quite ready to approach that road just yet if I don't have to!

The WORST tantrum yet!

2009-08-12T17:37:00.000-07:00

I am definitely preparing myself for the terrible 2 stage after tonight. I guess I can say its like those teenage girls on 16 & Pregnant who say, "I never thought it would happen to me." You want your child to be somewhat close to perfect because their behavior reflects upon you right? Kerry and I were just discussing again last week about how to combat bratty behavior. If we let him win these tantrums, his behavior will never change or be corrected. He will turn into that bratty kid that is never disciplined and does whatever he pleases. I do not want that. I certainly don't want to be looked at as a mom with no control. I can read article after article on how to deal with tantrums, but sometimes the tactics just don't work for me so I have to do what I think is best at the time.

Let me give you the play by play of what went down at Super Target tonight.

We arrive happy as can be. Caleb now loves Super Target (he is rewarded with a lollipop for good behavior) so taking him here has not been a chore. We walk hand in hand into the store until Caleb sees that he will be trapped in a cart and starts to run saying, "No cart. No cart." I see him try to hide around a corner so I catch him and scoop him up. He instantly begins to scream and fight being put into the cart. So much so, that is a battle for a good 5 minutes to get him to sit down in the cart. I see many onlookers from produce watching this public nightmare unfold, but do I give up? No. I keep trying and finally get him in, strapped. I need all the support I can get now at this point. He is screaming like he is being tortured for about 10 minutes as I quickly shop. I am trying to ignore the fact that I am disturbing other shoppers at this point, but no one really has given me any looks, they just keep on their merry ways, but inside I know what they are thinking. I would think the same thing. Most experts say to ignore the tantrum. If no one is paying attention, the behavior tends to cease. Cease, I think not. At one point, he has managed to make his way out of the restraint and is now standing in the cart. This is very dangerous as he fell backward doing this exact same thing at Lowe's during a tantrum. Did he not learn? Now he is hanging on me, begging to walk. I cannot have a toddler walk around loose in Target as fun as it may sound to him. I set him down for a moment to swallow my anger and he is gone. I quickly look to the right a few aisles. No Caleb. I turn around and there he is with 2 boxes of maxi pads in hand wanting to put them in the cart. Thanks, but no thanks. I pick him up again, the boxes drop. A man helps by picking them up for me. Inside I am furious, but I am in public and there is not much I can do. I see a bench nearby and I try and sit him down for a breather. No luck.

We must now abandon our cart and leave the store. I carry him out to the car and he is screaming for Super Target. Super Target. Super Target. I buckle him in easily (this is a surprise, because this can be a battle during tantrums too!) and try and have a chat with him about the tantrum and how inappropriate it was. That Mommy now has to drive all the way home because you misbehaved in the store. He continues to scream Super Target. Super Target as we drive away. At this point, I am mad because Super Target is not right around the corner anymore. I drove here to get some things needed and I don't want to return home empty handed. We drive around the block and talk it out. I tell him that we can go back to Super Target if he will sit in the cart for Mom. "Okay. Okay." I tell him again that we only get treats if we behave in the store. "Okay. Okay." I pull back into the parking lot and carry him back inside without a struggle. I find our abandoned cart still waiting for us and place him in the cart. No battle. I am able to finish my shopping with a happy boy who is finally rewarded with his lollipop.

Now you may be thinking, Caleb does not deserve the lollipop. I would think the same thing too, but he corrected his behavior and earned the reward. Did I let him win this battle? No. I removed him from the situation and attempted our errand again. I guess my pep talk helped, I don't know. I would have let him win if I let him do what he wanted to do-walk in the store. I told Kerry the only time I have given into these tantrums is really during a bib boycott in a restaurant. I'd rather he mess up his shirt so we can eat in peace out in public.

Every day is different. These tantrums are not daily, they sneak up on you when you least expect it. I do not want to raise a brat. I want to raise a respectable young man. Each battle is a learning experience on how to better handle the next one. You just hope there is not a next!

P.S. If anyone who reads my blog has helpful advice on handling tantrums.....please let me know!

Extra Mula for a SAHM!

2009-08-07T17:55:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I am on this SAHM kick I guess. Maybe I am just bored since Kerry is out tonight and I have a few minutes to spare, but I wanted to share some legit ways of making and saving some extra cash in your spare time......if you have any! Ha!

Soon after Caleb was born, I was reading one of my favorite blog sites, http://www.babycheapskate.blogspot.com/ which I had come across reading some sort of baby magazine prior to his birth. It is awesome if you have not come across it, details sales and great deals on anything and everything you might possibly need for your child. Diaper/Formula deals, clothing/shoe sales, stroller/carseat steals! You name it! There is also another site that is pretty cool too, http://www.thethriftymama.com/. Just took advantage of a free Redbox rental the other night because I happened to look at the right time. These sites are created by moms who know how to find the deals and gladly share them with other moms who are somewhat clueless on stone cold bargain hunting! I do like to find my share of deals using coupons, but I am not crazy about it. I have tried to read up on http://www.couponmom.com/ to figure out her tactics, but some of it is a bit extreme and I have found some good deals there too.

Okay to the point I wanted to highlight. Babycheapskate had a post on taking online surveys that legitimately pay out. I thought, I will need some extra cash, why don't I check these out and see what happens. Well, over the past two years I have earned cash, gift cards and free products for taking daily surveys which can be fun! I have always enjoyed being asked my opinion or participating in focus groups. I took part in a focus group back in Phoenix on baby wipes and earned $100 for 2 hours of my time, plus I got a free pack of wipes to trial prior to the group, plus I arrived 10 minutes early to be entered into their early bird drawing and actually won another $100 for being pulled out of the hat! Wow! The cool thing about these surveys that are delivered to your inbox daily is that you have no obligation to take them. If you take a few days, the survey may be closed and you lose it, but tomorrow is another opportunity! Also, you may not qualify for every survey sent, but its worth a try to earn points or cash rewards right? I just took a survey today about what kind of toys I would buy Caleb and earned $4. It took me about 10 minutes to complete! I'll take it!

Another favorite part of participating in these online research panels is that I have qualified to test products currently on the market or potential new ideas to be evaluated by everyday people. Here is an idea of what I have tested and received a cash reward in follow up survey:

*Toilet Paper (Currently evaluating. I got a 6 pack that they pay me to use!)
*Pantene Shampoo/Conditioner (Currently evaluating. Full size, supposed to use for a month in place of my current shampoo.)
*Sunscreen
*Men's Shave Gel
*Flatbread microwave pizza (2 different kinds were overnighted frozen for me to eat! They were actually quite good!)
*Baby Wipes
*Diapers
*Training Pants (Recently got a pack of Huggies Pull Ups and Pampers Easy Ups to compare)
*Salad Dressing

I often forget to login to my accounts and check my balances so I can cash out. I remember to do it every couple months and just recently I received nearly $80 in cash and a $25 starbucks giftcard. I also participate in a momtalk community put on by the company Novartis, which I contribute to a few times a month and I have earned $30 to Amazon so far. Not bad for sharing my opinion right? So you are probably saying to yourself, shutup already, tell me what the websites are so I can sign up! Here are the survey sites I partake in:

https://www.globalopinionpanels.com/home?lang=en_US
https://www.opinionoutpost.com/dashboard.php
http://www.valuedopinions.com/
https://www.mysurvey.com/
http://www.acop.com/Default.aspx
http://www.globaltestmarket.com/

I don't know about you, but I love treats on occasion. Not having the extra income, these treats can be sacrificed. Today I got Caleb some dinosaurs and a hula hoop with one of the VISA gift cards I received from a survey group. We also shared a "pink milk" from Starbucks using a gift card I had earned earlier this week. I LOVE THIS TYPE OF MARKETING and am proud to contribute my opinions when I want for REWARDS!!!!

Another quick pointer on babycheapskate and thrifty mama. Check them out daily if you have the time because you never know what deal may be gone tomorrow! Good luck!

A typical day of the SAHM

2009-08-05T10:48:00.000-07:00

I haven't had much to blog about recently as I figure only exciting things should be shared right? Maybe not. A few weeks ago I was having lunch poolside with some moms, all who work at least part time or full and my friend Beth said, "So is this what its like to be a Stay at Home Mom?" For those of you who might also wonder what a day is like, let me give you a rundown on a typical day of a SAHM.

7am: Caleb typically wakes up. This could change from day to day. Today was 737, yesterday was 710, the day before was 630. Waking up for me is when I hear "Mama!" That means I am ready to start my day, get me outta this crib! We usually start our day with some Charlie & Lola per Caleb's request.

730am: Breakfast. My breakfast menu contains the following, but I usually offer him a few to choose from: Multigrain waffle with strawberry jelly, plain mini pancakes, blueberry muffin tops, strawberry or blueberry cereal bar or oatmeal. Depending on his hunger, I will usually serve some fruit alongside. Oh, and Caleb always has to have his milk! We will watch another episode of Charlie & Lola, Curious George or Imagination Movers, it all depends on his mood.

830am: Playtime with Daddy before he heads to work. This could be spinning cups, playing baseball, coloring or sticker books. Everyday changes! This morning it was playing Curious George cards (or rather throwing them all over the room) and a few swings of baseball.

900am: I usually have a plan for the day, whether it be a playdate, errands, splash pad, free movie, etc. Today Caleb wanted to play with his friends Maddie & Nico who have been away on vacation for 3 weeks, but they were still getting into their groove and needed an extra day to recooperate, so we took Speedy for a walk and then ran a few errands.

1100am: We return home and Caleb wants to pretend drive the car for a bit, then he spies some bubbles and oh, we have to play basketball and collect pebbles. So much to do! After pebbles in the pond, he rakes a bit, then he spies another ball to play with which is near his koala climber, so we toss the ball back and forth a few minutes and then he slides a few times before I say, "Let's wash hands and have lunch!" "I rake. Throw pebbles. Play basketball." replies Caleb. Anything but go inside!

1130am: Lunch is usually served during an episode of Word World. This is a fun educational show where words come alive! I just came across it on PBS. My lunch menu consists of the following and again I offer a few choices: Mac n Cheese, PB&J sandwich, Grilled Cheese, Squash & Banana, Sweet Potato & Applesauce, Apple & Carrot, Cheese & Crackers alongside a fruit if needed. Oh, and milk. Don't forget the milk!

1230pm: I would like Caleb to be in his bed for a nap. Sometimes earlier depending on when he woke up. He knows that when Word World is over, nigh nigh time is here and usually will go down with minor chatter. Today, he has talked and thrown lamby overboard throughout his entire nap. Very seldom days are like this, but sometimes he wants to be up for 12 hours straight! Yippee! Nap time is my time to work, check email, blog, clean or possibly take a nap myself if I need one!

230pm: Caleb usually yells, "Mama!" and I come to his rescue! Again, he requests Charlie & Lola usually, so we watch an episode to unwind from his nap.

300pm: Afternoon activities usually involve reading, coloring, sticker books, collecting pebbles, playing basketball, raking, taking a walk along the river. However after yesterday I believe Caleb should be stroller bound on walks. I had Speedy, Caleb's baseball bat and ball which he had to bring along but I ended up carrying. When it was time to head back home, Caleb protested by sitting in the middle of the trail. I kept walking hoping he would follow. He did not. I wish I had my camera to capture this cute little boy sitting in the middle of the trail. I would pick him up and he would fight, "I walk. I walk." I put him down, he sat back down. This went on for most of the way home until I came up with a good idea. Kick his baseball and maybe he will chase it. He did! Yeah! He is nearly 30lbs and when he is fighting it, he is not much fun to be holding, especially when I have an 80lb dog walking alongside us.

500pm: Daddy usually arrives home and Caleb runs to the door as soon as he hears the garage door open. Always greeting Kerry with such excitement! Makes his day! Kerry will play with Caleb while I prepare dinner which is a huge help! Caleb is usually not fond of my dinner menu, so I will fix him a plate of 3 items, usually a vegetable with some fruits or cheese. We are starting to realize that Caleb may be vegetarian. He has no interest in meat any longer! Vegetables are tough too (you saw my limited selection at lunch, those are offered at dinner too), but he had been asking for corn after seeing it on Word World and I made it the other night and to my surprise he ate it! I was shocked! Thank you Word World!

600pm: After dinner playtime, whether we go to the community pool, play basketball, spin cups, dance, sticker books or take another walk by the river, we enjoy some family time together before unwinding for bed.

700pm: Unwind. We try and have Caleb cuddle with one of us and just relax before bedtime. Whether we watch some Charlie & Lola again or if I get lucky and he wants to watch, "Fortune" (Wheel of Fortune).

730pm: Bedtime. When we say time to wash hands and brush teeth, Caleb runs to his bathroom and gets the stool and we help him do just that! During his last diaper change, he loves Kerry to read the book, "That's not my Teddy". We have read it so much, we all can recite it, but its a touch and feel book so we go through it a few times each night because Caleb loves it so. He also is trying to postpone going to bed by asking for it again and again! We lay him down, say our prayers and lights out.

830pm: Caleb has usually fallen asleep by this time. He plays the game of "Lamby mama. Lamby mama." where he throws his blankey overboard again and again. Drives Kerry and I crazy, but taking it away only makes it worse! Since our move, Caleb hasn't gone to sleep right away. He use to lay down without a peep. We haven't been so lucky here in Indy!

Being a SAHM is not easy, peasy lemon squeezy. I typically work 12 hour shifts, being on call the other 12 when he is sleeping. You never have a day off (at least I have never taken one). You devote all of your time and energy into this precious gift that God has so richly blessed you with, that you could care less about a new pair of shoes or a nice haircut because you chose to sacrifice all of those things you could have to be at home with your child. It is not about you anymore. Good sacrifice? Most definitely. I wouldn't change it for the world.

My love story

2009-07-14T10:27:00.000-07:00

Today, I celebrate my 8th wedding anniversary with Kerry. Its hard to believe I walked down the aisle to the man I fell in love with prior to actually meeting that long ago. No, we didn't meet online. Most of you know our story. I have been called a "stalker," but I like to call it my love story.

After I transferred to SDSU from CSU Sacramento in the Fall of 98, my roommate and I got involved with the college group at a local church that was recommended to us. We slowly started to meet some friends and I started to make a list of potentials. Now, this is funny coming from me because I am very shy around guys. I think I went on a few dates in high school and some school dances, that is about it. I was just plain nervous around the opposite sex! I think I had a list of maybe 5, but Kerry was always number 1. He stole my heart the night he sang "Stairway to Heaven" with the college band. Not typically the singer, but I guess was performing for fun. His fun, outgoing personality gave me butterflies. A complete opposite of myself, but so cute! That night after we got home, I told my roommate at the time, "I am going to marry him. Just you wait." She laughed.

A month or so had gone by and we still hadn't met except a friendly hello at the door. I just admired him from afar, too shy to spark up a conversation. I mingled with the others on my list, some who now had girlfriends so they had to be crossed off, but Kerry was always numero uno. It was at a college football game that I asked a mutual friend to introduce us. Please. I can't take this anymore! So we finally met and I apparently sparked some interest in him as well. We were more social at church, found common interests in movies and music. I was in heaven! I would seriously dream of having my own "Say Anything" experience with Kerry standing outside my apartment window with a boombox over his head, playing my favorite song. I would run out and jump into his arms and we would live happily ever after! That never happened, but he is my Lloyd Dobler. I found him! We went on our first date November of 98, married on July 14th, 2001.

These past 8 years have been filled with fun, love and petty arguments. We have private jokes that have been shared over time that are only special and funny to us. "Member. Sharks eat people." Yes of course there are days of anger and frustration between us, but love prevails. After 6 years of enjoying each other, we brought a beautiful boy into this world to share it with us. We would never have him if we didn't have one another. God is good. I am so blessed.

Happy Anniversary buddy, I love you!

Grade 2......

2009-06-29T09:30:00.000-07:00

This past week has been a bit rough as we found out Speedy had a mast cell tumor (a common skin cancer in dogs) on his throat that needed to be removed surgically. The scary thought in the back of my mind was that he had this tumor for awhile, we just didn't know what it was. Our AZ Vet originally thought it was a skin infection and gave us creme. Never went away and we hadn't thought twice about it until he had some dental work done a few months ago and they wanted to send in a sample for testing. I guess I got confused with this new test alongside his dental work that I told Kerry to pass on it. What was I thinking? A part of me thinks I thought this additional test was related to his dental work. I honestly don't remember.

After meeting with the Vet last Tuesday night for a consult, we scheduled surgery for the following Thursday. All of this was done while Kerry was away in Mississippi. First hearing the news I was saddened. You never want to get a call like this. I immediately thought of Caleb and his "Seaby dog" and what great friends they have become. How I don't look forward to the day their friendship will just be a happy memory. All I could do was hope for the best.

The Vet explained the different grades of mast cell tumors:

A Grade 1 tumor is preferred having a benign behavior and excellent cure rate with surgery.

A Grade 2 tumor has moderately malignant behavior with a 20% chance of reoccurance.

A Grade 3 tumor is very malignant and only 10% of these patients are alive within 1 year.

I took Speedy back in today because his stitches were bleeding a bit and was given an antibiotic as it appeared an infection was starting. Lovely! I was also informed by the Vet that our results came back and Speedy has a Grade 2 Tumor. My one question to the Vet. "Is my dog dying?" His answer was peace to my heart. "No." The only problem with the Grade 2 tumor is the chance of reoccurance, that it had spread into some of his tissue. They removed a lot of the surrounding tissue if this was indeed the case, so hopefully we won't have any more tumors. We can only hope and pray that "Seaby dog" is around for many more years to come.

Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers as you all know how special Speedy is to us.

Moved in!

2009-06-20T17:54:00.000-07:00

With the help of some friends, we managed to pack up our apartment and unload into our new house in about 3 hours last Saturday! Talk about fast! By the end of the day we were exhausted. My whole body hurt and a good night sleep was much needed.

During our first week, we met some of our next door neighbors who have a beautiful St. Bernard and a daughter close in age to Caleb. I have waved to a few others in passing, but have not had the opportunity to formally meet just yet. Strolling in the neighborhood with Speedy is a bit different because everyone has invisible fence and you never know when a dog will dart around the corner and surprise us! Speedy has been on his best behavior so far, but I still tend to cross the street to avoid any chaos! We have a fenced in side yard and a doggy door from the previous owners and Speedy has adapted already! I was worried he would be a scared freak dog and avoid it at all costs. When Caleb is playing with him out there, he sometimes tries to follow Speedy in. It is cute to see his little head poke through. Kerry has been fishing some evenings and caught his first fish! How exciting! I cannot wait until Caleb is old enough to spend some quality time with him by the pond.

Every time we turn into our neighborhood, Caleb says, "new house." He is very observant in our trips around town. He knows what street the splash pad is on, where Maddie, Nico and Baby Ty live and of course when I near a Target my favorite words have become, "no Target." He has become very verbal and I love to hear his chatter. If he wants you to take something, he says, "Thank you" and hands it to you. I have been trying to teach him manners, so hearing him say "Thank you Momma and welcome" are pleasing to the ears. Just this past month he has learned that we pray at the dinner table and reaches his hands out for us to hold saying "Pray". Sometimes he wants to do it more than once. Precious.

A week has gone by and we are almost unpacked. Kerry and I both feel at home. I have to admit its almost surreal where we are living. I could not ask for a better blessing.

Nana, Papa & Hives

2009-06-07T17:48:00.000-07:00

We just spent a weekend with Nana & Papa. They arrived Thursday night and just left this afternoon. Caleb acted like he had just seen them last week which was wonderful. He quickly jumped right into Papa's arms and wanted to play! They arrived with jumping beans in a little porcupine pouch, one of Caleb's favorite treats! We took them out to dinner for Mary's birthday in downtown Noblesville and we all enjoyed a nice ice cream at Alexander's before heading back home.

Friday we had our final walk thru at the new house which was nice for Mary and Ted to see. We took a quick walk along the nature trail by our house and Ted was showing Caleb a few different plants including some wheat grass which he plucked for all of us to taste. When we got out of the car for lunch Mary noticed some hives all over Caleb's tummy. Oh my! Kerry and I were freaking out! Was it the wheat grass? Did he have allergic reaction to a plant? I made a call into the doctor who instructed us to give him Benadryl and apply hydrocortisone creme and that should clear it up. Okay. Later that night Mary and Ted got to babysit Caleb while Kerry and I went to see Coldplay with some friends who had graciously purchased us tickets prior to our move. It was an awesome show and our first date night out since we had moved so it was nice we had family in town to watch our boy. They had a great time with Caleb and said he was a perfect angel.

Saturday morning we woke up and the hives had spread all over Caleb. We were panicked. What on earth could have happened? He had red spots all over his body. We drove him over to Urgent Care when it opened and the doctor assumed it was an allergic reaction to Amoxicillin, an antibiotic he had been taking to clear up his cough for the past 2 weeks. Apparently an allergic reaction can take place towards the end of the dose on the 2nd or 3rd time it is administered. He had taken it once before for an ear infection, but apparently his body did not like it this time. Great. I had blamed Ted for the wheat grass causing this breakout which I later apologized for. Again, who really knows, we can only go on the doctor's assumption and they aren't always right! She prescribed a stronger antihistimin and a steroid for the itching. After 24 hours of taking the medications, the red spots have gone down significantly, but are still present. Hopefully they will be gone in the next day or so.

After returning from Urgent Care we spent a few hours at Connor Prairie Park which was cool. It is the Nation's finest outdoor living history museum. They had the 1859 Balloon Voyage which Mary really wanted to see. Her and Kerry did the balloon experience where you can take a tethered hot air balloon ride up 300 feet. They loved it and had a great time up in the sky while we watched below. Curious George was also a special guest at the museum, but once we got in line for a photo with Caleb and Mama's favorite monkey, he kept saying, " No George. No George." Kerry took his parents to a local winery while Caleb was supposed to nap, but he didn't. The Odegaard's invited us all over for dinner which was lovely. Mary and Ted had not seen their oldest daughter Maddie since she was a baby. How time flies.

Sunday morning we went to church and brunch afterwards. We also promised to take Caleb to the splash pad to show his Nana & Papa how much fun he has there! He loves it and did not want to leave once again. We got him home for a nap and woke him up before saying goodbye to our family for the weekend.

Saying goodbye is always hard, but you look forward to the next visit. The hardest part for us was when Caleb kept crying for "Papa.Papa.Papa." It breaks us.

It all started with a rain puddle!

2009-06-02T12:26:00.000-07:00

This morning we headed out for our walk with Speedy and Caleb has been wanting to bring Nemo along lately to push around. We had a beautiful thunderstorm last night and Caleb spotted a lovely rain puddle in the middle of the road at our complex. This is not a busy road, but it wraps around a huge pond that we often walk along. He decided to abandon Speedy, Nemo and I to splash around in this dirty rain puddle! Back and forth, splash, splash, splash! He was having so much fun! The whole time I am thinking, "Is anyone watching this? Do they think I am a horrible mother for allowing my son to play in the dirty puddle in the middle of the street?" Speedy and I sat on the curb about 20 minutes while he splashed and splashed. Finally, he fell face first and lost a shoe so I decided to end the puddle fun and head home. This was a bit of a challenge that I didn't give a lot of thought to beforehand. In one arm I held my sopping wet toddler. In the other arm I held the Nemo car and Speedy on his leash. I had a few blocks to walk with all in tow and thankfully no one was outside to see this lovely sight! I was praying "Dear Lord, please get me home quickly, all in one piece!"

Since we were already soaked, I decided to take Caleb back to the splash pad that he previously feared. If he had that much fun in the puddle, he would have tons more at a splash pad........and he did! He held onto mama at first, hiding from all of the fountains, but finally took off on his own and had a blast! Kerry actually stopped by for a bit since church is right around the corner. He was so thrilled to see his happy boy playing in the water!

All fun must eventually come to an end and my happy water boy was not so happy to be leaving. The scared boy who was once climbing back into the car the first time I brought him was trying to escape and run back to the splash pad. It was a fight to get him back in the car and I had to dig deep inside for patience with my son. These episodes break my heart because my sweet boy turns into a rotten tomato for a few minutes and I can get so frustrated. I held him in my arms and he was finally peaceful, ready to cooperate and get in the car seat. He proceeded to cry for about 5 minutes, then the Caleb I knew returned.

I love to see him so happy, yet I don't look forward to next time we have to say goodbye to the splash pad.

Welcome to the Midwest!

2009-05-27T14:48:00.000-07:00

"Welcome to the Midwest" is what everyone has been telling me. I have to say I have never been victim to such allergies. I hear about them, but have never suffered through any until now. I can't say I am a fan and now I sympathize with everyone who deals with them. I had my first bout of Bronchitis after we moved and still harbor a lingering cough and itchy throat in the mornings and evenings. Caleb does too. I just took him to the doctor today to investigate his lingering cough further. Something that had been hanging around on occasion, but spiked up after our move. After a thorough checkup, she prescribed Children's Zyrtec and an antibiotic to hopefully clear up the drainage in his throat. Poor little guy was coughing non-stop in his sleep last night for 2 hours before I couldn't take it any longer and had to hold him upright, that seemed to help. Hopefully the Zyrtec will come through for us and we can enjoy a cough free summer!

I am almost starting to wonder if the cigarette smoke around our apartment has been affecting us too. It will be interesting to see if it changes once we move again in a few weeks! Yeah for a place of our own, home sweet home!

A few more observations!

2009-05-15T19:29:00.000-07:00

As I am settling in my new state of Indiana, I have a few more observations in which to share:

1) Sweet Tea. Sweet Tea. Sweet Tea. Just about everyone offers it, but I can't say that they are all spectacular. Today, I took a test swig at McDonald's and I had to say, no thank you. I felt like I was drinking a cup of sugar! I normally don't order beverages when I am out, but its hard to pass up this tasty beverage I have heard so much about in this part of the country! Yum!
2) Speaking of McDonald's, there is one right outside our apartment complex and the drive thru is ALWAYS busy. I have never passed it and not seen a long line. Although Kerry tells me there was no line one Sunday morning at around 845am. Hmmm.
3) It appears that many women in this state mow the lawn. It may be for a good work out, who knows, but even seeing an 80 year old woman pushing the mower in her huge yard on the corner of Gray and the 32 shocked me. It was no riding mower people, she was pushing while her husband pulled the weeds! I have seen her more than once! Also, they don't pick up left over grass here. I guess it is just left for mulch or to be blown across the street for decoration.
4) By almost every pond, there is a sign posted that reads "No swimming, skating or fishing." However, I have seen many fisherman standing right near that sign. Did they not see it?
5) We ate at Bub's Burgers tonight in downtown Carmel. Best burger I have had in Indiana. Only burger I have had in Indiana. Regardless, they have a Bub's busy bag for the kids. When I opened it, I expected to see some crayons, but no. There was a bag of goldfish and fruit snacks. WHAT A FANTASTIC IDEA to keep your little one's entertained until dinner arrives. If only every restaurant picked up this little tip. As I am writing this, I guess I am pretty fantastic for providing these very snacks to Caleb just about anywhere we go, but still, you get my point. Great idea!
6) What do people do for a living here? I have seen some MANSIONS up in here. I keep asking Kerry every time we drive down just about any street. My goodness.
7) Roundabouts. Gotta love them. Prefer them over a stop light any day. I think I might just drive around in circles one day and never leave it, well after a few circles maybe.
8) It does not get dark until about 9pm here. Is this normal? I always feel like its so early walking my dog at 830pm in light.
9) I take Caleb to see geese every afternoon at a nearby pond. Geese. I did not see these lovely creatures on the west side.
10) Our apartment complex pool opened April 25th, normally community pools do not open until Memorial Day weekend here. This pool has not been empty since, rain or shine. Being here only a month now, I have enjoyed the cool weather, but I guess everyone else is excited for summer to come. Maybe too excited.

A Love Explained

2009-05-09T20:02:00.000-07:00

Kerry and I just got done watching Marley and Me. I never read the book and I think I want to pick it up to see how it compares to the movie, but I bet its beautifully written. I have never cried so hard during a movie until I saw this one. I am not sure what that says about me. Steel Magnolias, Family Stone and Step Mom break me because I am reminded of my mom, but I think over the years my heart has been comforted by happy memories. If you don't understand how someone can love their dog like they are part of the family, please watch this. It clearly explains the love for man's best friend. Clearly. Before Caleb was born, I always told Kerry that having a dog is good practice for children. Yes, I understand they are not the same, but in a way they are. The day they come home you are elated. You are no longer accountable for just yourself, but someone else. You will have days of frustration and joy, but at the end of the day you wouldn't trade it for anything.

Kerry and I brought Speedy home at 7 weeks old back in April of 2002 after choosing him amongst his brothers and sisters. It is hard to imagine how little he was, now being nearly 90lbs. He is an amazing dog, so fully of energy and love for just about anyone. He has been a part of our family for 7 years now and I am not looking forward to the day we will have to say goodbye. When Caleb will have to say goodbye. My son has grown to love "Seaby" and always looks forward to seeing him in the morning and when we come home. Speedy is great with Caleb, loves to play tug o war, share snacks and shower him in kisses. As a kid, I grew up with a dog and I think I will always need to have one in my life.........Kerry may disagree, but I think this movie changed his heart :)

I was reminded of my daily frustration with Speedy after watching this movie. How I can get so irritated by the fact that it takes him forever to find the right spot to pee when I am taking him for his morning potty break in my pajamas at our apartment complex. I am more worried about who will see me, rather than letting him enjoy the fresh air and finding the right place to mark his territory. Where is my patience? I can get frustrated with Caleb over not wanting to sit in his car seat or getting his diaper changed. Where is my patience?

Marley was a crazy dog. Crazy. I am not kidding. This family had frustration of course, but their love was stronger. Love wins.

A Hidden Jewel!

2009-05-03T07:01:00.000-07:00

Kerry and I found our beautiful house yesterday! We were on our way back home finishing out the day of house hunting and our realtor suggested we drive through a hidden jewel she knew about. A newer housing development tucked away behind an older neighborhood. When we drove down the hill, it was indeed a hidden jewel. Kerry and I both had seen this home online and I am sure glad we were able to get in and see it yesterday. I was in love the minute we walked in the door. Gorgeous upgraded home with cherry wood floors overlooking a pond. It was exactly what we both had envisioned, but just hadn't found. All of the other homes worth considering were all backed up to a road which we knew was not a good thing. We found a very cute home last week backed up to the woods, but that was bought right out from under us and this one almost was too!

Our realtor called this afternoon to tell us an offer was made and asked us what we wanted to do. We discussed it and decided to make an offer below list and see what happens. If it was meant to be, it would be. We kept saying, "People are stealing our houses!" We got a call from our realtor this evening saying it must be a "God thing" because we got the house! Turns out, they had countered with the other offer three times before getting ours and they decided to accept ours because they were done haggling. Another cool thing is that they are moving to Arizona! Small world!

God is amazing! He truly works everything out in his timing. I know we are all looking forward to moving out of this cigarette smoke infested apartment (which is cute by the way) and into our hidden jewel come mid June.

Sick in a new town!

2009-04-28T18:34:00.001-07:00

It was just my luck that Caleb caught a cold before we departed for Indy April 6th. I got it on April 7th and we flew out on the 8th. Why do we still have it? I am guessing the drastic weather change of warm and sunny one day, rainy and cold the next was a huge factor, who knows. Caleb is much better than I, but symptoms are still lingering! I took us both to Urgent Care on Friday to get checked out and we were both cleared. Nothing we can do for an infant cough is what I have heard over and over again. Come on! At least his is not constant, it comes and goes. My throat was really sore so I thought I had strep. Negative. Over the weekend I was feeling worse, developed a lovely cough and Monday my ear felt weird so I decided to visit the Urgent Care again. This time I was diagnosed with Bronchitis and an Ear Infection. Prior to going I discovered a great tool called "Earcheck" which you can buy at CVS which is a scanner for children's ears to detect an ear infection. I thought it would be lovely to know if I have one, before I make a trip to Urgent Care to be told I don't have one. Plus, I didn't know Caleb had his ear infection a few months ago when he had another cold, so this will come in handy in the future! I had Kerry scan my ear and it flagged an ear infection! Wow! It really does work! My antibiotics kicked in and I was feeling so much better today until my cough kicked in rough tonight. I hate coughing. Maybe I should get that prescription cough medicine rather than wait it out........

I didn't want to start our new adventure out this way, but life isn't always perfect right?

Settling In

2009-04-22T09:36:00.000-07:00

Our house officially closed a few days late on April 21. We are no longer home owners, but temporary apartment dwellers in Noblesville. Now our house hunt can start! There are so many inviting neighborhoods around here, its just a matter of finding just the right one for our family! Kerry and I are already arguing over interior paint choices of sellers online. Can someone really like that much yellow? Yes, I understand you can paint over it, but I remember we took one room at a time in Mesa and painting took us about a year until it was all complete.

The weather is a lot colder here, but I definitely like to bundle up. I just wish I hadn't packed all of my winter stuff in storage! I guess I thought Summer was right around the corner, but I guess the end of May, early June is not so close! At least they only have 3 months of heat and humidity which shouldn't be so bad. I will be sure to let you know!

I passed my Indiana written test for my driver's license which I was nervous about. They wouldn't let me smile for my picture, so I look like a complete wacko trying to grin. Kerry and I have been driving around neighborhoods getting a feel for the area and I have made some observations that have been unfamiliar to me having not lived in the midwest:

1) A lot of 2 way country roads.
2) Tulips and Daffodils are a common flower in front yards.
3) Everyone has their own mailbox out in front of their home.
4) I can't just drop a piece of mail off at a nearby mailbox, I have to drive to the post office. This is somewhat annoying, but I will get over it once I get my own mailbox!
5) Fast food establishments, drug stores and gas stations are not on every corner.
6) A majority of the fire hydrants are RED!
7) Open backyards. I guess theft is not an issue out here.
8) I have to travel to Indianapolis to get to the better shopping (Trader Joe's, Costco, Babies R US, etc) which is only about 20-30 minutes, but I am use to driving a couple miles. This is something I will have to get use to or just make a few trips a month. The scenic drive on Allisonville Rd is very pleasant though!
9) I see Robin birds everyday! How lovely!
10) It's ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL HERE!

I hope you enjoyed my first Top 10 Observation List. I am sure there will be more to come.

My new home!

2009-04-11T18:37:00.000-07:00

Kerry and I arrived within a few minutes of each other Wednesday night. My friend Bethany picked Caleb and I up at the airport and Kerry and Speedy pulled in their driveway just prior to our arrival. Talk about good timing. We enjoyed a lovely dinner and birthday cupcakes for Kerry before watching the Idol vote off and heading to bed.

We got our temporary apartment (which is quite nice and very clean for never seeing it prior to our lease) Thursday morning and the moving company was sitting in front waiting for us. Talk about prompt! The driver's helper was a no show, but Andy was amazing! Started at 9, done by 2. Moving is exhausting. Do I really want to do it again in a few months? Not really, but after hearing my upstairs neighbor's surround sound full blast.......I think so. We are still unpacking our necessities while the rest is being stored in a garage in our complex, but it still feels weird to not have everything available to me.

Caleb is doing better than Speedy. He stays on his bed about 90% of the time because he knows its a safe place. Except for when Caleb decides to bring all of the kitchen utensils one by one and leave them in a pile on his bed. Silly kid. Caleb's room is set up so he has some familiarity, the only thing he hasn't asked to do as frequently is to go "outside". I guess not seeing a backyard plays into that. He has his toys, books and boxes to climb on, so he is content!

Kerry is still feeling unsettled and this might last until we find a house. He doesn't like being cramped in a small place, but I try and remind him its only temporary. Plus it has a nice, big garden tub........yeah for Kerry.

I have already fallen in love with the beauty here. The first morning I walked Speedy I was delighted to see red fire hydrants, beautiful daffodils and geese! (Why did I put fire hydrants first? First thing I saw and it was cool!) Driving around town you see beautiful blossomed trees, trees in general, woods, Robins (which Mary said I would see a lot of) and I also noticed a sign in a neighborhood near our apartments that said it was "Predator Free". They do not allow registered sex offenders to live in the neighborhood. Never seen that sign before! Will that be on my Indiana driver's license test?

Anyhoo, I already love it here. I don't miss the sights of Arizona at all, just my friends and family. It has been a bit chilly, but at least I get to experience winter before spring hits.

All packed up!

2009-04-04T14:53:00.000-07:00

The last few days have been exhausting. Finishing a bulk of the packing so the movers could come in and do the rest, driving around town finishing last minute errands, dump runs, etc. We took Caleb over yesterday and although he had fun running around the empty house, I think he wondered where everything had gone. He helped me clean the refrigerator by getting in the bottom shelf, he is such a good helper! Today, we had the carpets and tile cleaned and now I am happy to say goodbye to Kiva Avenue.

Kerry and Speedy head out for a long drive on Monday, first stop is Clayton, NM, then Kansas before arriving in Indy late Wednesday. We got Speedy shaved today so his hair wouldn't fly around the car and drive Kerry absolutely nuts. I must say my dog looks 5 years younger and much thinner without any hair, but he is still my beautiful golden. Caleb and I will fly out on Wednesday, picked up by our dear friends the Odegaards who we will stay with for the night before getting our keys to our temporary apartment on Thursday.

Exciting, yet exhausting times. I don't look forward to unpacking, but I do look forward to my new home and church in Indiana. Saying goodbye to family and friends will bring tears to my eyes, but I will never forget the friendships and memories made here in Arizona.

Last visit to Phoenix!

2009-03-23T19:47:00.000-07:00

My Dad has made the trip out for Spring Training the past 5 years I have lived in AZ. He just made his last trip out to AZ this past weekend. I guess now that we are moving, he has no reason to come out if he can't see us too! He took in a full weekend of games while we stayed behind and cared for Caleb who must of had a stomach bug or food poisoning. Poor guy was sick during Grampy's visit!

Luckily he had some moments of wanting to play outside and I got to capture a cute picture of him and Grampy playing in the unfinished vegetable garden.

Please come and visit me in Indy Grampy! See ya soon!

SOLD!!!!!

2009-03-18T16:39:00.000-07:00

I received a call from my realtor this morning at 730 with an offer. I could not believe what I was hearing. I had 2 showings the first day on the market and someone loved it that much to make an offer! Wow! Today, we had another showing and another offer. We countered the first offer and they accepted this afternoon for more than the asking price. What? Kerry and I are completely amazed at God's awesome power. I never would have thought I could sell my house in less than 48 hours in this economy! Now the stress of paying rent and a mortgage are no longer present. Now, I just have to hope and pray everything goes smoothly with the escrow process. What an exciting and blessed day! Amen!

1 House for Sale!

2009-03-17T17:03:00.000-07:00

Our first home was listed for sale last night and I was not expecting to get any calls for showings so soon! I had 2 today (must be the luck of the Irish) and I must say, it was a bit crazy trying to quickly pick up toys and make the house look somewhat presentable in the midst of our packing! I guess I will have to plan on doing this everyday just in case I get any calls. I had about a half hour notice which was nice, but I was running around like a crazy woman trying to clean and then get Caleb in the stroller and Speedy out the door as quickly as possible so the house would be vacant.

My hope and prayers are that our lovely first home will sell within 90 days before we have to pull it off the market and rent it out. I remember looking at it during the previous tenant's son's birthday party and then coming back a second time before making a decision within a weekend. I was sold on the open kitchen and huge backyard, and my hope is that someone out there will be sold the same way.

A quick visit to Sacramento!

2009-03-10T13:20:00.000-07:00

By now, most of you have heard that the Snyder family is headed to Indiana next month. Kerry accepted an Associate Pastor of Student Ministries position at Grace Community Church in Noblesville. We are super excited to open this next chapter in our lives and explore a different part of the country. Plenty more updates to this adventure ahead, but I had to start off with that as the basis for my most recent visit to see my family in Sacramento.

Caleb and I took a quick trip to Sac this past weekend to spend time with my family before we take off. The nice thing about my move is that the airfare cost is about the same. The downside is no direct flights, so my next trip will take up a full day with a layover and time difference. Cost is the key! Sac was still experiencing some winter, so I enjoyed the crisp air, something that has been long gone here in AZ! Caleb loved to play in my sister's backyard and I quickly taught him a new hiding place, which was just a column of her house. I went behind it and then peeked out and he would copy me! So cute! At one point, he stood around saying, "Momma. Momma." So I had to pop out! Caleb learned to blow on a flute my sister had which would be her morning wake up call for the remainder of our stay.

Friday afternoon we did some errands with Lindsay and Dave, got a balloon from the Nugget (a fabulous store, similar to AJ's here). Their balloons were tied to a clothespin so you could clasp it onto the cart or wherever. Brilliant! More stores should do this! We came home for lunch and a nap (Caleb had to hold his balloon while napping.....so stinkin cute!) to get ready for our pizza party later that night with friends and family. On Saturday we went to the park with Grampy before naptime and our short, but sweet visit was nearly over.

I realized again how important visits are with family. Caleb was a bit shy around them because he is not sure who they really are just yet. If he had the opportunity to see them on a weekly basis, I am positive things would be different. Even though we are moving further away, my visits home will still be as frequent. They need to be. I thank Southwest for offering affordable airfare which will make this possible.

Time for a haircut!

2009-02-28T14:03:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I attempted to try a "mother/son haircut day" but that didn't go as planned. I have been going to Great Clips by my house, but for some reason every senior citizen in Mesa was waiting in line. What the heck? I was set on getting hair cuts, so I drove to my 2nd choice, (which use to be my 1st choice for most of my life, but that is another story for another time) Supercuts. They had no wait when we walked in, the stylist attempted to be friendly with Caleb, but he was not about to sit in the chair with a cape. His face filled with panic and I knew only 1 of us would be getting a haircut today. Caleb sat there quietly, lollipop tightly held in his hand with no attempt at licking it just yet. At one point, he smiled at me and said "Momma." Precious are those words to me now.

We left Supercuts and I thought to try a kids salon to see if that would be more inviting for Caleb. Normally, his Nana trims his hair, but it has gotten really long and he was just due for a nice all around cut. Question is, would he sit still long enough to get that done? I went into Lollilocks, but they didn't have an appointment until today, so I booked one. They had bins of balls which Caleb loves to play with and when our name was first called, Caleb went running in the opposite direction. We sat down in the chair and she tried to cape him, but he was not having a cape. Luckily I brought his bib along which is not much different from a cape, but it helped to protect him from some hair. She started spraying his head and trimming and I was amazed at how calm he was. Another gal helped a ton by blowing bubbles at Caleb. He had so much fun trying to catch them. It preoccupied him from the haircut. He had some toys to play with as well, but the bubbles did the job! I thought to myself, what a nice job to have. Blowing bubbles for kids while they get their haircut.

I offered Caleb a lollipop a little too soon for being so good. It managed to collect a bunch of his hair and it was really gross! I had to take it away before he ingested too much hair which upset him, but I promised him a balloon from Trader Joe's. Even better. All of his long locks are gone for now, but he looks so handsome and clean cut. Yeah for Lollilocks!

I survived 2 kids: Part 2

2009-02-26T12:52:00.000-08:00

I got to watch baby Brody again yesterday and by noon I questioned whether it was possible to care for 2 kids at once. My helper Caleb, turned into jealous Caleb. He would whine and sadly say, "Momma. Momma. Momma" if I held Brody. I pulled out a play mat for Brody to lay under and I was reminded of the big kid bullies at Barro's pizza last week who did not want Caleb in the playhouse because he was little. Caleb wanted to play with the toys hanging down and pulled the contraption apart at one point. I didn't want a bully kid so I quickly packed up the mat and moved onto something else. When it was time for Caleb to eat lunch, Brody was hungry too and feeding two kids at once is no party! Caleb learned patience by spilling his cup of water on the floor, entertaining himself for a bit by splashing in the small puddle.

By noon Brody had fallen asleep and Caleb was due shortly for a nap as well. I was in need of a break and some peace. After naps, my mind had changed about caring for 2 kids. They were joyful and calm, playing nicely together. I rocked them both in my lap at one point and felt there was no other place I'd rather be. It was a squeaky rocking chair of love!

Caleb still loves babies, but he showed me that he can get jealous if all of my attention is not on him. Kerry reminded me that it will be different when a baby is around all of the time. Okay, I feel better about having another one!

I survived 2 kids!

2009-02-17T12:44:00.000-08:00

My friend Sarah asked me to watch her son yesterday as her sitter was out of town. Brody is 4.5 months old, born a week shy of Caleb's first birthday! I have to say I was a bit nervous, but was delighted to offer my help to a good friend. Plus it would give me practice for when the time comes to care for two kids! Brody is a wonderful baby. Barely makes any peeps, except smiles and laughter when Caleb would entertain him. He slept twice for about 15 minutes which was not usual behavior. He did not care for the swing as much as he did my sling! He loved hanging out, attached to my hip!

I must admit it became a bit stressful when it was feeding time for Brody, only because Caleb would need something and I couldn't really manage both at the same time. Caleb was a great help to me though. When changing Brody's diaper, he brought me his toy without being asked. He liked to help push the swing and make him laugh. When it was time for Brody to go home, he waved bye bye to his little friend.

Today after breakfast, Caleb walked around the living room looking for "baby." It was so cute. He loves babies! I get to watch Brody again next week for another day, but I welcome the practice. I give much credit to mom's of multiple children! It is hard work!

Lesson Learned

2009-01-29T12:05:00.001-08:00

I knew it was bound to happen. The Pediatrician tells us things to be careful of each visit, like climbing, reaching for hot drinks, etc. Today, I was baking cookies, trying to get some things done since Caleb is down to one afternoon nap. I am very good about keeping him away from the oven, but I wasn't so good about pushing the cookie sheet far enough back for him not to reach up and touch. Ouch! It was a delayed cry, but I swooped him into my arms and rushed him over to the sink to soak his hand. I was not even sure what part he exactly burned, fingers I assume since he was on his tippy toes, but I was so immediate in my response to get him under the cold water fast! After a few minutes I hopped online to check out first aid for burns and really the best action is to soak hands in cold water for 15 minutes. So I did just that. Caleb didn't mind at all because he loves to splash in water. It was fun for him! We took breaks so I could evaluate his hands, but they didn't seem to bother him. So we soaked and splashed a few more times just to be safe. I think it is hard to tell right away if there will be any redness or swelling, but I am crossing my fingers that it was a very quick, minor burn!

I learned a lesson today. I cannot bake cookies when Caleb is awake for 2 reasons. 1) Its not just the oven I have to worry about, he can reach up and touch the cookie sheet! 2) He will want to eat all of the cookies on the counter! I felt like I was torturing him with these delicious treats, similar to our trips to the grocery store when he sees all of the balloon displays and cannot have one of them. Breaks my heart.

A part of me was scared to call Kerry and admit my guilt, but then I was reminded by my mother in law that I was not being careless, nor should I feel guilty. Accidents happen and we learn from them. Caleb will hopefully now remember the words "HOT, Don't touch!" I will remember to limit my baking to naptime :)

Kids eat free EVERYDAY!

2009-01-24T19:55:00.000-08:00

We went to My Big Fat Greek restaurant tonight and now that Caleb is starting to eat kids meals, we were delighted to see the banner "Kids eat free everyday!" He enjoyed coloring with Daddy while we waited for our food to arrive. Even though he is suffering from a cold, congestion and ear infection, I must say he is very pleasant to be around, even when we are out to eat! Caleb had chicken strips, fries and ketchup! First he dipped his fries which was very cute. Then he decided to eat the fry, then dip his fingers in ketchup and put it in his mouth that way! He was a ketchup mess, but totally cute! He likes to wipe his yucky hands in his hair, but food makes a nice mousse! Maybe I can hide some green beans in ketchup?

3 o'clock blues!

2009-01-23T10:33:00.000-08:00

Caleb has been suffering a cold for almost 2 weeks now. Kerry and I just about a week. I guess I can take the blame for taking him to San Diego to visit my best friend whose daughter happened to get sick when we arrived. I feel so bad for him, yet he seems so happy with a runny nose and cough. It doesn't seem to bother him in the least, except for his 3am awakenings this past week. What is the deal? He hasn't been sleeping well during the day for his naps and when we put him down at night it takes him nearly 2 hours to fall asleep. Not crying, just babbling in his bed. This NEVER happens! I thought it could have been the Benadryl we attempted 2 nights in a row per the recommendation of our Pediatrician, but it is still happening! He wakes about 3am and just wants to babble. Not cry, but babble for maybe 2 hours. I know when I am sick, I like to get plenty of rest......Caleb however is the opposite! We just found out from a friend that rubbing vapo rub on the feet supposedly works. We tried last night, but when I read this morning about it online, you are supposed to put socks on apparently! Socks on tonight!

Caleb was terribly upset this afternoon, awakening from a very short nap so Kerry made an appointment with our Pediatrician. Turns out, my boy has his first ear infection on top of a nasty cold! He is on his first antibiotic and he loves the yummy raspberry taste! I believe this now answers my question above, What's the deal?

We haven't been much of anywhere the past 2 weeks as I don't want any of Caleb's little friends to get his awful germs! I just want my poor boy to get better and sleep through the night again! If anyone has any suggestions besides cool mist humidifier, vapo rub and saline nose drops, please let me know!

Balloon Sandwich

2009-01-15T19:22:00.000-08:00

I took the car in to get an oil change today so we walked across the street to the mall to kill some time. As we were strolling the mall, Caleb saw several children with balloons from Chick-fil-a. I could see the sadness on his face, wondering why he didn't have one too? I had always told myself that if I was ever in need of a balloon, I should just swipe one from the car dealerships. They have plenty attracting their lots! On our way back, I decided to do just that. I failed to consider a few things before doing so. 1) The size of the balloon. 2) Would anyone see me and approach me? I quickly untied a balloon from a nearby car and quickly scurried on my way not realizing that I had untied, not 1 ENORMOUS balloon, but 2! They were hooked together! Now, I was strolling with 2 obnoxious balloons hoping not to be seen! Caleb was thrilled, but I think a bit overwhelmed by the size! Trying to get Caleb into the car with these balloons was another thing I did not consider. What a mother will do for the love of her son!

P.S. Caleb calls balloons "bubbles". Gotta love it!

Speedy's first surgery!

2009-01-07T18:33:00.000-08:00

I was not so excited to hear that Speedy had mild gingivitis and would need a tooth extracted when he came back from his last checkup a few weeks ago. The estimate was approximated at $700-1000k for the procedure. Being a SAHM, I have cut out some expenses and recently decided not to renew his veterinary insurance because it simply has not been worth it. Who knows if dental procedures would have been covered anyways.

He went in today and I was pleased when I received a call from the vet saying the tooth just needed to be filled and not extracted because the damage was not as bad as they originally had thought. Now the pain in my heart over another unexpected expense had ceased. Having a filling was much cheaper than an extraction! No more hard bones for Speedy the dog!

Caleb and I had to go into an exam room to go over Speedy's discharge and the minute we entered Caleb started screaming and made a dash for the door! Poor guy thought he was at the doctor's office again! He eventually got over it when he found a nice cart of medical supplies to keep him busy for a few minutes. Speedy came in and Caleb's face lit up. He finally got to see his pal that had been gone all day.

When we got home, I had hoped that Caleb would allow Speedy some peace so he could rest and recover from the anesthesia. No chance of that happening! Caleb wanted to play with his BFF. Where had he been all day?

All in all, I am glad Speedy's first surgical procedure was dental related. He is nearly 7 years old and has been healthy his entire life. Speedy is a part of our family and he is worth the cost. I would have gladly paid $1000k for Speedy to have that million dollar smile :)

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T09:12:00.001-08:00

It is crazy how fast time flies. Before I know it, Caleb will be off to college. I have never been one to set resolutions unless I know I will fulfill it. The last resolution I made was in 2007 and he was born in September of that year. I look back at this past year as a mother and it is an amazing gift. I never would have thought I had it in me. I never babysat or changed many diapers, but when people say "it comes naturally," they were absolutely right. I think I even surprised Kerry!

I have spent the past year as a SAHM (Stay at home mom for those of you not hip on the mom lingo!) working sporadically for sales reps who have graciously blessed me in my efforts to be with Caleb. I helped a friend find a baby to adopt so she could have a chance at motherhood.

I am proud of my accomplishments this year and look forward to more in the New Year. I already know my resolution for 2010 which I will have to begin sometime this year.

Wishing you all a new year of peace, hope, love and good health. God Bless!

A holly, jolly Christmas!

2008-12-26T14:15:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve we tried to put up our traditional tree topper, but this year, he was not so willing. He screamed like he did on Santa's lap, but I had to try. He looked so great last year! He actually slept in til about 745 Christmas morning. No rush to see what Santa had left under the tree! We opened some presents at home before heading to Nana and Papa Snyder's for the day.

I got him a learning laptop this year since he loves to type on Mom and Dad's. It was the one present he said WOW for. Aunt Lindsay sent him a Finding Nemo ride/push toy which is also a favorite. I know Caleb does not understand what Christmas is all about just yet, or why he got a bunch of gifts one day. This year was different from last because Caleb could actually open presents and enjoy the many wonders of this holiday. Now I know why parents look forward to this day.

Wishing you a wonderful holiday season!

The Wow of Christmas!

2008-12-20T09:22:00.000-08:00

Caleb loves lights so I knew when Christmastime came around, he would be wowed by all of the festive decor! We took him to a neighborhood of mansions I had read about online and the minute we turn down the street..........WOW! I love to hear him say WOW! I too am impressed by the amount of effort people put into celebrating Christmas! I was impressed by the size of these houses really. Hidden little neighborhood of wealth I had never seen! As we headed back, we had passed another home on the corner that we had seen on our way in so we decided to stop. It was completely decorated, a winter wonderland to put it mildly. We drove past and we saw Mr. and Mrs. Claus sitting at the front! No wonder! It was Santa's house! We saw a small line of children waiting to sit on Santa's lap so we pulled over and joined the crowd. Caleb waited patiently in line as Kerry and I wondered what his reaction would be once he met this fine couple. They were handing out little toys and envelopes that the kids could deposit in their mailbox with their wish list. I was quite amazed at their amazing spirit for Christmas! What a wonderful way to give back to the community! Apparently they do this every year for the kids. Kerry made a joke about a kid coming back to the egg their house if Santa didn't bring what they wanted. I wonder how many kids come back unhappy after Christmas? I bet none.

It was finally our turn and Caleb was a little shy walking up to Mr. and Mrs. Claus. I lifted him onto their laps and he immediately screamed! Mrs. Claus says the best pictures are taken even when they are upset. Kerry snapped a quick photo and she gave him a twisty straw. Happiness overcame. On the way home, he was full of joy as he played with his twisty straw. I love the WOW of Christmas. May your home be filled with many WOW'S this holiday season!

The Cutest Turkey!

2008-11-28T21:25:00.000-08:00

We headed to Sacramento on Tuesday to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with my family. I have never seen the airports so dead in all of my life. The planes were not full, there were no lines to stand in, I am still shocked by it. Sacramento was actually quite pretty. Seeing the colorful leaves with crispy weather was nice. My sister Lindsay hosted a Lobster feast on Wednesday night with some family friends. (Normally we have lobsters on Christmas Eve, but since we won't be with my family, we did it the night before Thanksgiving.) It was delicious! Caleb actually tried some and liked it. He nearly ate the entire bowl of fruit salad and I thought he might burst. I do not know how his little belly can hold so much food! He was so cute offering some fruit to his friend Claire, or should I say playing trickery. When Caleb offers someone a bite to eat and then quickly snatches it away, we like to call that trickery. It is so funny, yet disappointing for those on the receiving end. Claire was a bit perplexed as to why she was tasting some fruit, but never got to eat it!

My sister revealed Caleb's costume for Thanksgiving.......he was going to be our turkey! At first I had flashbacks of Halloween and how he wasn't too excited to be dressed as a monkey, but he loved this turkey costume! He waddled around the room flapping his wings. He was the cutest turkey I had ever seen! Aunt Lindsay is the best! She wanted Thanksgiving to be celebrated like the Pilgrims and Indians so we each had a festive hat to wear. You have to love her creativity!

Caleb didn't sleep tremendously well while we were away, not sure if it was the time difference or surroundings. Perhaps the Elvis suite we stayed in was a bit too much for his liking. We had missed the holidays with my family the past few years because travel has just been too expensive. Perhaps that is why the airport was so vacant. Once you have a new family member in the picture, you have to make holidays work. This year was special because I actually saw tears in my sister's eyes as we were leaving, which immediately made me cry too! I am so thankful for the time with my family this past week.

Caleb is walking!

2008-11-24T10:09:00.000-08:00

It has been fun to see Caleb start to take steps, slowly, but surely. Being a first time mom, I wasn't really sure when I could classify him as a "walker". I guess when I saw him leave his room and walk out into the living room this morning, he was classified. For the past week, Kerry and I have been playing baby pong. We would sit across from each other in the living room and have Caleb take off between us! He would get so excited and walk towards each of us! If he fell, he immediately clapped his hands in excitement! Yeah Caleb! Another milestone! He still likes to crawl, but everyday he seems to get a little more brave and takes longer strolls around the house! Next week he will start in the toddler room at church, no more nursery love for my new walker! I tried to take video, but you may have to turn your head to watch it!

My first freak out as a Mom!

2008-11-19T09:10:00.000-08:00

Everytime Caleb is playing with my keys in the car, I ALWAYS keep one door open. I swore to myself, I would never have all doors closed at once if he was playing with my keys. Today, I made the mistake. I gave him my keys while we waited in line at the post office. Keeps him happy and preoccupied. I think he also likes the metal taste........ewww! We came out and I buckled him in and let him continue to play with the keys because I had to stamp some letters for work. In that brief instant of closing the back door and opening the driver side.......click! NOOOOOOOOOOOO! Please God no! Luckily there was a woman getting out of her car who let me borrow her phone to call Kerry. He did not pick up, so I left a frantic message. I stood there peering through the window at my sweet boy, telling him that he could touch the buttons for once in his life! The one time he has the freedom to touch the buttons he has no interest! Touch the buttons Caleb. Touch the buttons. He just sat there staring at me, jingling the keys around, probably wondering why I was peeking through the window from outside. Then what I thought was an answered prayer came driving through the parking lot........a locksmith van. I flagged him down, but my prayer was not answered. He was not a locksmith for cars. He let me use his phone and I was finally able to get a hold of Kerry. He was on his way! Daddy was coming to save the day, I told Caleb through the window. At this moment, Caleb started to press the buttons, just not the right one. Then he got upset, threw them down and began crying. Kerry was my only hope. Another lady stopped to let me know the Fire Department will unlock your car for free if a child is inside. Good to know, but from this day forward, I will never make this mistake again. Kerry arrived with the other set of keys to rescue us! Caleb had calmed down once he saw Daddy. I felt horrible, but Kerry was not even mad at me. He comforted me, showered Caleb in kisses and the past 15 minutes of fear had subsided.

The Balloon

2008-11-18T10:04:00.001-08:00

Caleb loves balloons. Its a special treat when he gets one in a restaurant or store and then he will hold onto it for dear life until one day it magically disappears. (Last time it snuck out the door of the car while I was buckling Caleb in) He got his latest balloon at Jackson's birthday party on Saturday (11/15) and he has managed to still carry it around with him mostly everywhere mommy allows. The car, the grocery store, mealtime, our morning walks and sometimes when he naps! Speedy is frightened of balloons, so I am surprised he has managed. I guess now that the helium is nearly deflated, it is not as scary. The balloon is gross. It has been dragged across the floor collecting mommy and Speedy hair, even on the street, but it makes Caleb happy! It is so cute to seem him pull it across the floor while he uses his walker. He loves his balloon.

Caleb's First Real Halloween!

2008-11-01T09:41:00.000-07:00

We had the joy of taking Caleb tricker treating for the first time this year. Since he has monkey toes and grabs a lot of things with his feet, I thought it was appropriate to have him dress up as a monkey this year! Although the weather was still warm, he braved this hot monkey costume for about a half hour while we took him around the block to gather some Halloween treats! The best part was the hanger he had to take along for the ride. Everyone we stopped and talked to asked about the hanger.

Once we returned home, we gave him his first Halloween treat, a red lollipop. He enjoyed it very much and kept saying, yum! He did not go to bed for nearly an hour and half after we put him down........could it have been the sugar from the lollipop? Hmmmmmmm.

I hope everyone had a safe and happy Halloween!