Thanksgiving Recap

Sorry for the delay in posting this week. We have been decorating the house as well as doing all the other activities to get ready for Christmas. Any time Callen is napping, I am baking cookies, crafting a wreath for the front door, or just picking up the mess I (not Cal) has made throughout the house! And when Cal is awake, I have tried to just live in the moment and play, play, play! 

Last week I wanted to post on Callen at 4 months, so I wasn't able to give a recap on his first Turkey Day. I have a few minutes now, so here goes...

We had my family over Thursday morning before leaving for Atlanta to spend 3 days with Doug's dad's side of the family. We didn't do anything special with my family...just had a drop in as people were able to make it before needing to get to other gatherings with their extended families. My siblings and I always have a great time when we get together. Lots of laughing, telling of funny family stories, and making of new memories. Even though we all live so close, we don't get together as a family as often as people would think. Callen has definitely brought us all closer, and allowed for more reasons to come together. So very thankful for all their love, laughter, and support.

After my family get together, we loaded up (lots of stuff!!!), and headed to Atlanta. Doug's dad, step mom (Linda), brother, grandmother, and aunt were all waiting for us. Callen was also able to meet some extended family...Linda's extended family. It was a big crowd, but so wonderful to watch everyone interact with Callen. Those meeting him for the first time just wanted to hold him and love on him. The others were amazed at how much he had grown and what all he was able to do since the last time they had seen him. 

We just hung out Thursday night and watched a movie and visited. Doug's family has the tradition of going hiking on Friday instead of getting in all the Black Friday madness (thank goodness! I can't stand shopping, especially in large crowds in order to save $5). We usually go to the North Georgia mountains about 2 hours away. This year we hiked around Cumming, GA, the town where Doug's grandmother lives. We wanted to be close to her so we could get back to her house sooner, and allow her more time to spend with Callen. Also, the hiking was a lot easier, allowing everyone to go. It was a great hike, and extra fun that everyone was able to go with us. Callen enjoyed his hike and Uncle Dave carrying him. After hiking, we took Callen on the slide at the playground. He was in love! I am excited for the spring and warmer weather. He is going to have so much fun at the local parks. I may have to take home 2 crying boys at the end of the day...Callen and his daddy! 

We came back Saturday in time to watch the Clemson/USC game. Enough said there! Luckily Callen slept through the entire game. Sunday, my family got back together and had our Thanksgiving meal. 

It was a wonderful few days spending time with family. We are so thankful every year for our blessings, but this year we are especially thankful. Thankful for a happy and healthy baby boy, thankful for wonderful family and friends who have helped and supported us along the way, and thankful for every opportunity we have to spend with all those who are special to us. 

 

The whole group

Great Grandmom getting some snuggle time

Callen was quite comfy with Uncle Dave

3 Generations of Morris Men

Callen tried to steal Uncle Dave's PBR!

Cal's favorite part of the day...sliding down the slide!

Post hike snooze with Grand Chuck

 

More snuggles

Happy Thanksgiving!

4 Months Old...Already?!?!

Where has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday we were anxiously awaiting our surprise arrival, wondering when and where I would go into labor, and how we were going to tell our family whether we had a girl or boy. And now 4 months later, Callen is the bright spot to our day; the most huggable, happy little boy with the gummy grin! We can't imagine a day without him in our lives. He is just awesome!!!

Callen went for his 4 month check up today. He weighed in at 14.5 lbs and 25.5". He is slowing down on his growth based on the growth curves, but his pediatrician feels he is doing great. Based on his daddy's size as a kid, he is going to come to a screeching halt with his growth before long! He had 5 vaccinations today, but they were combined into only 2 shots and an oral. There were quite a few tears after the 1st injection, but he was fine after about a minute of mommy hugs! We have decided to hold off introducing solid food until 6 months of age. So, we will discuss this topic in greater detail at his next appointment. 

At 4 months, Callen is able to roll from his tummy to his back. Sometimes I think his head does most of the work, but he has done it at least 10 times, so I know it is not a fluke. 

He has even been propped up on his elbows and reached out for an object with one hand while continuing to prop with the other arm. 

I have been working with Callen on rolling from back to tummy, but he can't quite master this skill on his own yet. Won't be long though. Callen has great head control, and has fun sitting in his Bumbo chair and playing with his toys. (I think Cal has more fun dropping them on the counter and watching mommy and daddy put them back in his lap...over and over and over!). He has started to play with some new toys besides Sophie, but he always prefers to chew on Sophie over any other toy! 

All his toys on the tray

 

Slowly starting to throw them on the counter...trying to be sly!

Still loves his Sophie

He likes this owl...lots of colors and textures

Callen is able to reach with one or both hands for a toy and then bring it to his mouth in order to chew on it. Everyone asks if he is teething because he loves to suck on his fist, fingers, or toy all the time. So far there are no teeth. I think Callen is going to be an adventure seeker. I will flip him over my knees and he comes up grinning from ear to ear. We also started placing him on a soft surface and then pushing down beside him to 'pop' him like popcorn. He laughs every time we do this to him. We also let him slide down a slide all by himself...Doug caught him at the bottom, of course! I came up just laughing and smiling.

I think Callen's favorite thing to do is play with his daddy...and I think Doug's favorite thing to do is play with Callen. The two of them together is just so cute and sweet. The grins on both faces are priceless.

Cal was shocked to see Doug in his crib when he woke from a nap!

So sweet!!

Callen is on a pretty good schedule now. This makes our lives so much easier by knowing when he is going to be hungry/sleepy/fussy based on what time it is. He is eating every 3 hours. He plays for about 1.5-2 hours before getting sleepy and then snoozes for 30-60 min. He isn't the best napper during the day, especially when placed in the crib. His pediatrician said he should have better naps by 6 months (I am hoping!!). What sleeping Cal doesn't do during the day, he makes up for at night. He is going down around 7:30pm and not getting up until almost 8:00am with one feeding during the night. Sometimes he will wake another time in the night, but Doug goes into Cal's room, comforts him, and gets him back to sleep. (I shouldn't put this in writing. I am probably jinxing myself with how well he does at night). We need to try and stop swaddling him soon. I have a feeling there are going to be a few sleepless nights in our house once we start that; Cal loves to be swaddled.


Cal is doing great. He is such a happy guy and we are so blessed to have such a wonderful little guy in our lives. I know I have said it before and will say it again...he brings so much joy to so many people.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

We hope everyone has a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving. 

SO much has happened in our house since last year at this time. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving I went for blood work at the fertility center. Later that day we heard 'you may be pregnant or have a resolving pregnancy based on your HCG levels.' Doug and I patiently waited until the following Tuesday for more blood work, and to finally hear YOU ARE PREGNANT!!!

And one year later...

Everyone is Thankful for this little man!!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

A Boy and His Toys

Ok, really just one toy in particular! Callen loves his Sophie the Giraffe. As I was looking back at pictures to include in the blog, I didn't realize we brought Sophie out so soon for Cal to play with her. He was only a few weeks old, and already holding on tightly to his buddy. At first I think he liked the sound she makes as well as the soft and squishy feeling of her. Now Callen has a full on attachment to Sophie! Over the last few weeks, he smiles when I squeak her, grabs a hold of her and gnaws on her face and ears, and reaches for her while sitting in his car seat or bouncy seat so he can play with her. Needless to say, Sophie goes everywhere with us these days. Instant pacifier!

It was amazing (and awfully sad) to look back at these pictures and see how much Callen has grown. I know he is bigger, but I don't see his change as much as others.

Looking back at these pictures makes me realize how big our boy has gotten in 3 1/2 short months.

Double Fisting it with 2 Sophies!

A Birthday to Remember

On Sunday, I celebrated my 34th birthday. It is hard to believe how fast time flies. Doug and I were talking the other night about how old we were when we met each other. I was 27...almost 7 years that we have known each other! In some ways it feels like just yesterday that we met, and in other ways it feels like we have been together forever. One thing I do know is that we have had a lot happen, both good and bad, since meeting almost 7 years ago.

Doug is very good about celebrating birthdays. He told me that your birthday is the one day of the year it can be about you. Holidays are great for family events and gatherings, but your birthday is all about you! He always seems to surprise me with a gift that I wouldn't normally ask for, but he knows I will love it once I have it. Other times he will set up a surprise dinner with friends. Anything to make the day special for me. 

This year for my birthday we decided to give hiking another chance. When we went hiking for Doug's birthday, it was way too hot and humid for Callen. It was nice to get out, but looking back, it wasn't all that enjoyable. We talked the other day about how nervous we both were for Callen that day...the heat, humidity, bugs, etc. Neither of us could enjoy what we were doing! We felt that since there were cooler temperatures, we would try going to Paris Mountain State Park to hike. It only takes us about 25 minutes to get up there, and we knew we could easily get home if things went south with Callen and hiking! Lucky for us, little guy did awesome. He got up early that day, so we got an early start; we were on the trail by 9:30am. (In our other life, Doug and I wouldn't wake before 10:00am, let alone be on the trail before then!!!) Cal loves the outdoors and was asleep before we even made it to the trailhead...which was about 10 feet from our car! I carried him in the front pack, and he literally sunk into my chest in the pack. Such a wonderful feeling having him snuggled against me while exploring nature. Cal literally opened his eyes for about 3 minutes while on the trail...just as we were stopping to take a few pictures! It was a beautiful fall day with temperatures getting into the low 70s. There were lots of fallen leaves on the trail, making it quite slippery. I tripped several times because I was holding onto Callen and not able to brace myself with arms outstretched or grabbing for a tree. I know now to take hiking poles with me next time we hike in order to have more leverage. We could not have asked for better for our hike. The weather was perfect, it was good to get outside and exercise, and best of all, we were able to experience it all with Callen. 

Once home, the 3 of us hung out and opened presents. Doug surprised me with a grain grinder! Sounds very exciting to so many people (ha ha...I am sure it doesn't!), but I have been wanting to experiment with different flour blends and making my own breads. I was very excited for this gift. I had talked about something like this a few years back but had not talked anymore of it since. Doug did lots of research and did an incredible job surprising me! I am very excited and can't wait to experiment. Lookout...you may end up with trial cookies or breads on your doorstep! My family came over for dinner and cake later that day. It was great to have everyone over and spend time as a family. It is hard for us all to find time to get together, so it is extra special these days when we are all able to be together.

My 33rd year has been incredible. There have been so many changes and wonderful experiences. I am more than excited to welcome in my 34th year and hope it is even better than the last!! A huge thanks to all who helped make my birthday extra special this year!

sleepy boy!

 

 

Helping mommy unwrap her presents

A Little Getaway

Doug had to go on his first business trip last week. He was not very excited to have to leave Callen for a full week. He says he missed me, but that is up for debate!! He was able to talk and text with me throughout the week, but there was never a good time for him to FaceTime with Cal. Doug was putting in long hours at the warehouse, and Callen was sleeping any time Doug was available to talk. Needless to say, Doug was ready for Friday afternoon when we picked him up at the airport. Smiles from both my favorite boys!!!

I always hate when Doug travels for business. I really don't like the nighttime, and never sleep very well. I knew I would be fine taking care of Callen on my own during the day, but worried about the nights. I also felt I would want some adult interaction, or the ability to have a few minutes of free time after a full day with Cal. It had been a while since Jan and Ken had seen Callen, so we decided to go to Charleston for a few days. What a great idea! That was what I needed for a week without Doug. 

We had a great time. I was able to go for a few runs...something I haven't been able to do while exercising on my own with Callen. Ken and I fished one morning, and kept 2 red fish and a trout. (Those fish became homemade fish and chips when Doug returned home!) 
Cal even caught his first fish!

I would get up and work on the Sudoku puzzle every morning while Cal and Oupa read the latest news on the computer:

We worked on Cal's Halloween costume. As my Papa always said, 'Every job needs a supervisor.' Callen is taking those words of advice these days:

 

Based on how his Halloween costume turned out, I would say he did a great job supervising!

My favorite part of each day was hanging out on the veranda in the late afternoon/early evening. Doug has a favorite hammock swing he always falls asleep in while in Charleston. Watch out Doug, because Callen has now claimed that spot for himself!

 

We had so much fun, and it helped to make the week without Doug go by much faster. Callen enjoyed being spoiled, and I enjoyed the company. Jan is already asking when Doug's next business trip will be!! 

Speaking of...

Doug has taken a new position at Michelin! He will be working in the Supply Chain side of things rather than the Logistics side. He is very excited and set to begin January 1. I am very excited for him. He was ready for a change, and this seems to be a great fit for him. Congrats!! He will have to travel to France 2x a year. Looks like Callen and me will need to become fluent in French so we can go shopping for super cute French baby clothes!!!

Happy Halloween

 

While pregnant with Callen, he was given several nicknames. We started out with Popcorn Shrimp, but he quickly became known as Popcorn or Shrimpers. With the nickname Popcorn, we were drawn to anything popcorn related. We gave thank you gifts for one of our baby showers consisting of popcorn buckets, candy, movie tickets, and of course popcorn! At another shower, the flower vase was a plastic popcorn cup/bucket! 

Doug and I like to be creative with our Halloween costumes, and we prefer to make them instead of buying something off the shelf at the store. As most people do these days, I started searching Pinterest for Halloween costume ideas for newborns. I honestly did not think they would make something small enough for a baby other than a little pumpkin onesie type outfit, so I figured I would have to make something or be creative. After looking at Facebook last night and seeing all the tee tiny baby costumes, I was wrong. Oh well, I am pretty happy with the costume we chose! After a little bit of searching, I

came across a baby dressed as a popcorn bag...PERFECT! I would love to say his costume was my idea, but I owe my creativity to Pinterest and other crafty people in the world. I love to do projects and scrapbook, but my ideas are based off of other people's projects. I just take their ideas and add my own twist to them.

I think his costume turned out pretty darn cute if you ask me. Doug was out of town on business this week, so my sister Kim came and went trick-or-treating with us. We really just walked with our next door neighbors to a few houses and then walked to dinner. But, everyone who saw Callen in his costume loved it. Kids were yelling, 'there's that popcorn baby' or 'look at the popcorn.' It was really cute! 

 Hopefully next year Doug will be in town and we can make a family themed costume!