8 months

Hard to believe little man is another month older. Not too long ago I heard someone talk about motherhood, and they said it is 'long days and short years.' Well, I firmly believe that saying. I cannot believe how fast 8 months has gone by...time flies when you are having fun!!

Callen is more and more active these days. He is still doing his push up and fling himself forward type crawling. He has not mastered up on all fours and staying that way while advancing forward. However, the boy can get himself where he wants to go! I left him in the middle of the living room the other day and left the room for about 2 minutes. I heard a loud thud, and found him by the front door with a flower power overturned and soil on his face!! The boy is into EVERYTHING and EVERYTHING goes into the mouth. He is climbing onto small objects that are in his way in order to get to what he wants. He is now able to go from sitting, to all 4s, and back to sitting. I have also found Cal using his crib bumper to pull to stand in the crib (yes, the mattress has already been lowered to keep him from falling out of it). 

Look at all that blonde hair! He is going to be a toe head like his daddy

I think all this activity has started (I say this very loosely) to tire him out some. Cal's naps are starting to be longer than 30 minutes at a time! He still fights a nap every time I put him in the crib, but once he falls asleep, he will sleep anywhere from an hour to 2.5 hours! This makes one happy momma!! And best of all...he has slept through the night (7:30-7:30ish) for the last week! Can I get a BIG WooHoo?!?!

He still has not said any words. Doug and I feel he is 'talking' lots more and throwing consonants in there much more often, but no distinguishable words. There are times I feel he says 'hey' when we walk into the room and greet him. There are also no signs of teeth. His pediatrician looked at his gums last week and said she didn't think he would have teeth for a while based on what she felt (I guess the teeth are way down in there?). 

Trying to get him to say Good Morning to Doug...I feel he said hey at the end, so I cut off the video!

Cal is still a happy smiley baby most all the time. He has definitely shown more outward signs when he is tired, and I have had to do major consoling in public a few times to make him not lose it. We have not had a major meltdown yet, but I also know when we need to start making our way home! One of his favorite games is peek-a-boo/hide and seek. We will hide on one side of a chair and pop out to surprise him. He then starts to look in the same direction for us...and then we pop out on a different side. He laughs and grins every time. He also loves being tickled. He gets the best belly laugh going when you tickle his belly! We are still experimenting with new foods and tastes. I spiced up some quinoa and zucchini with cumin the other day. I can't say he loved the flavor of the cumin. He loves salsa! I have given him medium salsa, and he eats it straight from the spoon without any worry for the heat! He is doing really well at eating straight from my plate. I had to share my pot of homemade oatmeal with him as well as my veggie burger the other night. He enjoys eating whatever I have that I will allow him to try. We are still being careful with the high allergy foods because of Doug's allergic reactions to some foods and my family history of allergic responses. So far so good for now. His new favorite food is watermelon! He gets so excited when he see me take the container out of the fridge. I can see many days this summer hanging out in the front yard with a sprinkler going, Cal playing in the water and then enjoying watermelon and then back in the sprinkler for a bath!!!! 

We have been going to the library weekly for 'Bouncing Babies.' We go with Cal's buddy, Wyatt and his mom. It's a program at the library where you sing songs, read books, and then all the kiddos play. There are usually 20-25 kids at the program. He seems to enjoy it; he really likes the singing and interaction portions, and then the time at the end when you can play. This morning I put him on the ground, and he was gone. He crawled around and played on his own or went to other kids for about 15 minutes.

Bubble time at the library!

So tired but will not miss out on anything!

Life is so great right now. We are having so much fun with our little guy, and loving all our new adventures. Things are so different than just last year, but we couldn't imagine better. It is so awesome to watch Callen explore and learn so much around him. I just need more energy to keep up with him. Once he figures out crawling...and then walking...it is game over!! Off to the races!

Spring Fever!

 

With upstate temperatures moving into the 70's and even 80's,  there is no doubt we are taking full advantage of the beautiful spring weather. We just hope it is here to stay!

This weekend, we were able to get out on our bikes and ride downtown. For years, Doug and I have ridden our bikes to a local restaurant, Smoke on the Water, for happy hour and dinner. Since Cal was born, we have gone quite a few times (the first when Cal was only 9 days old!), but have had to drive there each time. We miss the freedom of hopping on our bikes, riding down there in 10 minutes, and parking right out front of the restaurant. Well, we were back to our old routine this past Saturday! Cal rode with us to happy hour before meeting up with friends for dinner. It was so great to take him along on an outing that Doug and I enjoy so much. Riding our bikes downtown makes me ready for the warm weather and all that downtown Greenville has to offer during the spring and summer months. 

The boys enjoying their happy hour drinks!

I have been able to get Callen outside for some swinging, bike riding, and playing in the yard. The boy LOVES his swing, and could stay in there for hours. Now that it is warm all day and not just in the late afternoon, we are swinging at least 2x per day. It is so peaceful as well as wonderful to look around at all the blooming flowers and trees while he giggles and laughs at the fun. Callen is really enjoying just lying around on a blanket, or 'crawling' around the grass to play with toys (and eat leaves and flowers in the yard!). He is at peace outside. He loves to look around at all that is going on. When Callen has had minimal napping (which is quite frequent around here!), we go outside late in the day to pass the time because he rarely fusses while outside. We play in the yard, go for a walk, or swing to pass the time. 

I was so nervous the first time I got him on the bike...precious cargo!

I love that smile. Melts my heart every time I see it!

 Extra fiber in the diet!

If you ever need to find us, drive by...I am sure we will be in the front yard! This summer is going to be so much fun. Days playing in the pool, going to the park, and just enjoying the outdoors. I hope Callen continues to be an outdoor enthusiast. Doug and I love being outdoors, and want nothing more than Callen to love it too!

On the Mend!

After a week of a runny nose, croupy cough, and ear infections, I am happy to say Callen is pretty much back to normal!!! He still has a little cough (1-2x vs. 10+ times per day) and every once in a while needs his nose wiped. It is so good to see Cal back to himself. He wakes up talking and giggling vs. crying (which is what he did while he was sick). He isn't so clingy, and we can leave him alone for a while to play while we get chores done around the house. I missed hearing Cal giggle and seeing him smile all the time. He did these things some while sick, but not nearly enough!

Love hearing him laugh and talk!

I kept Callen indoors most all last week. He did not go to the YMCA nursery, and we kept errands to a minimum in order to help him stay away from others. Lucky for us, the weather was pretty nice last week. We were able to go for several walks, and Callen was able to enjoy his new favorite past time...swinging! He LOVES to swing. We will come home from a walk, and he zeroes his eyes in on the swing and won't take them off of it. He starts kicking his feet in excitement. Once you put him in the swing, he looks as if he could care less about being in there. He will crack a smile every once in a while, but mainly hangs out and chews on the straps while you push him. However, when you go to get him out, he will turn snap his head back to look for the swing and often times make a grunting noise letting you know he wants back in. He could sit in there for hours; he has fallen asleep in it once already! 

The rope is my lazy way to 'push' Cal! I am able to pull it pretty far up and let him go and he swings pretty far out.

Cal is on the go...more so now than before. He cannot sit still, and when you sit him on the ground, he falls forward over his feet onto his hands and knees. He is commando crawling just about everywhere. Nothing is safe anymore!!

Heading towards one of his favorite 'toys'...the remote!

Because Callen was feeling so much better this weekend, we were able to enjoy the beautiful weather and get out of the house. Doug's cousin from Baltimore, Daniel, was traveling through Greenville on Friday. He and his adorable family stopped for lunch. This turned out to be a great break for the kids, and we all hung out at the local park for an hour or so before they got back on the road. I have only met Daniel and his wife Delphine one other time. Since the last time we met, they have had 2 kids, Liliana and Thomas. We had a great visit, and it was fun getting the kids together and watching them interact. Callen loves older kids, so he was quite content doing what the big kids were doing!

Daniel and Cal

 

Look Thomas, this is how you play the piano!

 

Thomas, you play with the wood chips...I will eat them!!!

 

On Saturday, Doug and my dad worked on the back deck for a while. Cal was a good supervisor from the back door!!

A little more to the left, daddy!

While Doug was working on the deck, I took Callen out to run a little 'errand.' What I was really doing was buying a bike helmet for Cal in order to surprise Doug. Doug has been dying to take Cal bike riding ever since we bought him a seat about 2 weeks ago. We had not been able to find a helmet small enough for little man's head. Either Cal's head has grown enough in the last 2 weeks, or we were able to fit this one small enough for him. I took him to Carolina Triathlon for the helmet. The guy there was sooooo good with Callen, and got him hooked up with a toddler helmet; sized and ready for riding. 

I'm not sure who was more excited about this bike ride. Doug was sooooo happy to get his boy out on the bike. Cal seemed to really enjoy it. He looked all around while riding and talked more than normal. At one point I looked over and he had his feet propped on the handlebars just chillin'!!!! We are going to buy an adapter for my bike so we can easily move the seat from one to another so that I can take Cal riding during the day.

Because Cal was sick all last week, I kept him away from meeting his cousin Ella. The last thing we need is a sick newborn. So, Callen finally got to meet Miss Ella last night. He was pretty much uninterested in her. There were too many other distractions for him to keep occupied. Papa, Kimber, 2 dogs, and new surroundings kept his attention pretty much the entire time we were visiting at Brittany and Michael's house. He wasn't even jealous when I was holding Ella. We were able to snap a few pics of me holding both babies.

I am so glad little man is getting back to himself. We love to getting out and about, and were unable to do so last week.  Cal is very happy to be outside and around other people; being with mom all day is pretty boring after a while!!! 

A few other pics from yesterday that just make me smile...

Cheering on the Tigers and eating a carrot stick. Of course it is more fun to play with the food than actually eat it!

Driving home from visiting Baby Ella...Cal puts the cup up to his mouth like he is drinking from it. Then he brings it down like he is taking a break from drinking. Then he puts it back up to his mouth. This routine continued several times. I had to grab the camera and grab and pic of him 'drinking' out of the cup like a big boy.

Sick Baby...

It took 7 months, but Callen got his 1st ear infection over the weekend. He had a slight cold last week, but he has had a runny nose and cough in the past and got through it without any problems. However, on Friday night, he spiked a fever. I knew right away that he had an ear infection. I called my sister and asked her to check his ears before I called the pediatrician. She looked at him and said they were not raging with infection, but would head in that direction if not treated. So, off to the doctor for our first sick visit. His right ear was worse than his left, and a round of antibiotics was ordered.
Callen spent Saturday just hanging out in our arms, sleeping, or lying on the floor. He had minimal appetite for anything other than mommy's milk. He was so congested that when he ate, he would gag and throw up because he couldn't breathe well. It broke my heart to see him this way. But, on a positive note, we got lots of extra snuggle time with him! For a baby that is so active and can't sit in your lap for more than 2 seconds without reaching to grab whatever is near you, it was soooooo great to just lie around with him and have him snuggle all day! He has slept with us either in our room or his for two nights so that we could keep him elevated. This helped with the congestion some, but he still has a runny nose and congested croupy sounding cough. We go back to the pediatrician on the 31st for a recheck. I hope and pray he is well by then.

Callen is still all smiles even while sick. We play hard until he tires out. When he gets tired (which is more often), he gets a little more whiny than usual, and he is definitely more clingy to me during the day. I feel so bad for him. We try and suction bulb his nose, and he squirms and cries. We try and give him his antibiotic, and he is lock jaw. The boy just does not want to be bothered with right now!
I think we are on the mend. His runny nose and cough don't seem to be as bad today, and he is even happier than he has been all week. He is even starting to do some commando crawling (forward!) around the living room. He just started this last night, so we don't have it on video ye. He is loving his new 'big boy' toys. He is finally able to touch the ground and enjoy them!

 Future Rockstar!

I have been slack about posting this week since I have been taking care of Callen most of the time.But the biggest reason is...we had a new addition to our family on Monday!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS

 to my sister, Brittany and her hubby, Michael on the birth of their daughter 

ELLA MARY JONES 

 March 17, 2014 * 6:25pm * 6lbs 7oz * 19in

She is an absolute doll!! I m ready for Cal to get better so we can spend more time with her. Cal is going to be an awesome big cousin and show Ella how to get into all kinds of trouble...

7 Months!

Hard to believe another month has passed, and Callen is 7 months old! This boy does NOT stop moving. He is not yet crawling, but finds every way possible to get to a toy placed in front of him. He will roll, twist, scoot, and do anything else he can to get to his toys. On the hardwoods, he is able to scoot backwards...we have found his head sticking out from under the bed or sofa once or twice! 

Beware if Cal is in your lap; he is in constant motion. Between grabbing for objects, wanting to stand up on your legs, reaching for your food or drink, or just turning to look at everything going on, the boy does not stop moving. You would think with all this activity, he would pass out in order to recharge...not so much! Still napping 30-45 minutes at a time. The days he sleeps past the 45 minute mark are a rarity. I honestly think he does not want to miss a single thing that goes on in the house. What he needs to realize is that as long as he is asleep, NOTHING fun is going on in the house! I am squeezing in a quick shower after a trip to the gym, eating lunch, or cleaning; nothing he can't miss. This is Cal when he was so tired he could hardly keep his eyes open. Diaper change to go down for a nap turns into this...

Callen is a little ray of sunshine! His catfish grin can make anyone smile. He is a ham, especially to all the ladies that talk to him. He will be in serious mode while people are talking to him, and then all of a sudden he cracks the biggest grin. The person talking to him just smiles and laughs, and he knows he has done a good job! He is great to take along for errands and anything else I have going on. He goes with me to the gym several times a week, and hardly makes a peep while there. I was worried about separation anxiety starting with him, but so far he hasn't showed signs of it. I can take him most anywhere I go, and he tags along like a champ. He loves being in new places and looking around at all that is going on. He is very inquisitive already, and takes in everything around him.

Running errands at Target...mom makes me try on crazy hats!

Callen continues to do well with his eating. He has added mango, broccoli, green beans, and pears to his previous list of foods. As he gets used to eating single foods, I am going to start mixing up the purees to give him a variety of tastes and textures with each meal. He loves eating time! We have recently started giving him whole pieces of food...apples and pears...that have been steamed and soft enough for him to eat. However, he grabbed a slice of my raw apple the other day and went to town on it. 

Cal LOVES bath time. He was getting too big for the seat that goes into the sink, so we started looking for other options. I have heard of people placing their kids and all their toys in laundry baskets in the tub. I remember my siblings having a ring that suctioned to the bottom of the tub. I like the laundry basket idea, but didn't want something so big taking up space in the tub all the time. I can't find one of those rings in any store or online except for ebay...and it comes from overseas somewhere. So, I opted for a rubber mat with grippers on it that suctions to the tub floor. This is working great so far, and Callen loves his new freedom. He plays on his back, sits up, and flips to his belly and swims around the tub. He has so much fun during bath time, and it is so cute to watch him.

Playing Twister in the tub!!

I say it every month, but time is going by way too fast. I can't believe how big Callen is getting. He is so much fun, and I just love seeing him explore and learn so many new things. He is such a joy, and makes us laugh each and every day.

Beach Bums!

I've got my toes in the water and a$$ in the sand (well, maybe toes in the sand for now!)

Last week, Doug traveled to France for business, leaving Callen and me home alone. I really don't mind being alone all day with Cal while Doug is gone, but I am not good at staying by myself at night. Cal goes to bed fairly early, so I am able to have some 'me' time before going to bed where I can read a magazine, watch TV, play on the iPad, or whatever it is I want to do. However, it is falling asleep (and staying asleep) that are difficult for me. By the time I drift off to sleep, Callen is waking up for his feeding. Once I get him settled down and back to sleep, it is 2 hours before I am back to sleep (my mind gets to wandering about EVERYTHING!!!). Next thing I know, it is 7:30-8:00am, and I have slept all of 3-4 hours. My dad and Malinda were heading to the beach for a few days, so I asked invited myself along to help break up the week until Doug returned home. 

On Wednesday, my dad, Callen, and I headed to Garden City for a few days. Malinda was already in Charleston babysitting her grandkids, so she joined us on Thursday. We had no plans other than go for a walk or two, and meet up with my Aunt Angie and Uncle Roger on Friday. Total relaxation (as much as you can have with a 6 month old to care for!!) was the plan!

Thursday was great. My dad and I walked the beach while Malinda watched Callen. Once it got a little warmer, we took Cal onto the beach and let him put his feet in the sand. We took him to Sullivan's Island at Christmas, but it was way too cold and windy to take him out of his bundle. The weather this time was still a bit chilly, but much better than December. Cal loves being outside so much that I know he is going to enjoy being on the beach and playing in the sand during future trips. (This momma is ready for warmer weather so we can get outside and play as much as possible)

After our trip down to the beach, we came back up to the condo to hang out and do pretty much nothing. Callen had lots of snuggle time with Papa and Mimi Malinda. 

He was given his first baby 'laptop' by Mimi M, and as with everything else we have, it had to go through taste inspection. Both Callen's and Malinda's laptops passed with flying colors!!

On Friday, Angie (GiGi) and Roger (Pawpaw Roger) came down from North Myrtle Beach to hang out and go to lunch. Once again, Cal had lots of snuggle time. He wasn't so sure about Pawpaw Roger at first, but was so proud of himself when he finally went to him and played in his lap. After that, Cal wouldn't take his eyes off Roger, and looked for him whenever he was moved from lap to lap.

I came down with a stomach bug on Friday (as well as my dad later Friday). A HUGE thanks to my dad, Angie, but mostly Malinda for taking care of Cal while I was down and out. I could not have done it on my own and was very lucky to have been with them so they could take care of Callen. I told my dad Saturday that we should do this every year. He was in agreement...minus the sick part!!! 

We sure missed Doug while he was in France, but we had lots of FaceTime in the afternoons so Cal could see his daddy, and Doug could see his little buddy. Being at the beach wasn't too bad either!!!