Yesterday, I saw this little treasure posted on Craig's List. It has a light underneath that lights up the work area (for tracing, etc) and a light on top, plus lots of storage. It was cheap and located in New Holland, so I emailed about it, and the guy called me and said it was still available. Here he goes to Petra and knew my sister (who's on staff there), and when Shawn went to get it, it was a guy he knew from high school who knew his sister Missy. It is a small world!Joshua loves his new desk. I thought he would. It's bigger than it looks in this picture (as we found out when Shawn went to pick it up and we fit it into our office!). There's lots of storage for crayons and markers, and it's the perfect size for him. Oh, how I hope he enjoys it! I love "good stuff cheap."
Another funny Bean story that I had to share. This morning, Joshua asked for "peanut butter bread with white butter" (he gets butter and peanut butter confused). I said to him "YOU GOT IT!" and he got very upset. He shouted back at me "No, I don't got it! You got it! I want it!" Haaaa!!! I tried to explain to him that "you got it" is like saying "okay" or agreeing. He didn't get it. He didn't "got it" and he wanted it! Haaa!!! I tried all morning to keep using the expression, but he kept getting more upset so I let it go. He then asked to take a nap, and he's sleeping now (it's 9:30 am).
I've been working with Joshua on learning his date of birth. He came into our room this morning, climbed up in our bed, and said to me "my birthday is September 18." Yes, yes it is! He told Daddy, too. :) :) :) He tells me Caleb is 1 and Joshua is 2. Soon, though, he'll be three. But, he can't hold up three fingers altogehter without letting the fourth pop up. :)
Last night, Caleb went to Bible study with me and he did well the whole time in the nursery. Yeah! He now says "more," "quack," "book," and "up." He jabbers a lot more than that, but those are the distinguishable words. His favorite food is blueberries, but they don't agree with him... enough said. He's definitely not a morning person and usually takes awhile to get half-happy in the morning (the opposite of the Bean). He's loving books these days and thoroughly enjoys being read to, but he also enjoys turning the pages back and forth. I'm taking him to the pediatrician later this morning. Yesterday he started rolling his eyes into the back of his head. I called the doctor concerned, and they said that they should take a look just to be safe. Please keep both boys in your prayers!
I was in sooo much pain yesterday. Maybe it was the barometric pressure? The only reason I say that is because after dinner, we went outside to get some fresh air. Shawn & the boys were playing soccer and I was relaxing on the lounge chair. I thought "maybe a walk will help my circulation and ease the pressure that I feel building in my leg." So, I begged Shawn to take a quick walk around the neighborhood with me (not something he enjoys). We put Caleb in the stroller and let Joshua walk, and we started down the street. We no more than walked the first block, and we felt a drip come down from the sunny skies. Could it have been what we thought it was? No... Only, heaven didn't agree with us. Within seconds, the skies opened up and let loose. We were drenched. Joshua started to sing, and we laughed. He sang "I'm so blue-hoo-hoo, blue-hoo-hoo, blue-hoo-hoo, blue, I'm so blue I don't know what to do." We giggled and giggled. I couldn't run (honestly, I could barely even walk!), so we just enjoyed the shower and listened as Joshua sang and then would talk about God playing the drums with the thunder. We all dried off when we got in the door, and the boys got ready for bed. I rocked Caleb to sleep and then tucked in the Bean. I love night time!
I had my second surgery this past Friday. As I wrote in an email to my mother-in-law: "It went much better...well, I went in there with a long list of questions since my last one wasn't so hot, and that earned me the complete knock out. :) :) :) So, I was under and didn't feel a thing, other than the nurse sticking me four times 'til she found a painful spot for my IV. 
Thankfully, our marriage isn't based on our day-to-day looks (more the overall trend...just kidding!!!). Shawn has been amazing with the boys. He's such a great dad! And a great husband! I'm so very blessed. This has been a rough couple weeks since my first surgery. I really thought the first one would go more like the second did. But, as the surgeon explained, my tissue and veins are really inflamed in my right leg, which is causing an ungodly amount of pain. I feel like I can barely move. I'm not supposed to stand or sit for long periods of time (ummm...what else is there?). It's right at a spot where the boys hit into it a lot, too, so I'm extra cautious. These poor boys! It's finally nice out and their momma is out of commission! I notice, though, as Shawn is in pain from various injuries, he just keeps going. He doesn't let pain stop him (although the doc said pain can be our friend, telling us what we need to know so we should listen to it). I think, though, it's time that I get back up and running. Our house needs it! Our boys need it! Shawn needs it (whether or not he'd admit it)!
The second song is a Bebo Norman song that they played at Bible study on Tuesday night. Right now we're studying the Psalms of Ascent (which hasn't been the greatest Beth Moore study I've done, but it's always good to be diving into God's word). I thought the lyrics of "I will lift my eyes" from Psalm 121 were excellent:
I loved this picture of the boys above. They are in a little parade around the vacuum cleaner, having fun with Daddy and each other.
A couple other random stories. As Joshua & I were coloring the other morning (Caleb sat with us but mostly tried to eat the crayons until I put them out of reach), Joshua said "it's the baby elephant's birthday." I wondered where he got that from...then I realized that the picture he was coloring had an elephant in a hat that looked almost identical to Caleb's first birthday hat. I love how little minds think! He also surprised me the other day when we were looking at the blog and he said "that's Joshua looking at the boats." The picture has only the Bean and a flag in the background, but he remembered that we were looking at the boats that day in that place. He is so sharp! I see impressive intelligence in our lil' Caleb Luke, too. He is learning and growing everyday. He already has mastered going up and down the stairs by himself. He gets to the top and turns around to go down backward. I was afraid he wouldn't learn how, but it didn't take him long! I have more stories to post, but I'm getting tired...or at least my legs are starting to really ache.
So, I'll end this post with the picture of Caleb blowing you kisses good night!
I also loved the following pictures. Mom met me at the mall, and the kids got some play time in the play area by the food court. Then Joshua went back to her house from some one-on-one love while Caleb came home with me for lunch. In the afternoon while the boys napped, I kept my leg elevated above my heart and prayed that my soreness would go away. My friend Lisa came over with a meal for us last night, and I could have cried...God is so good. It tasted delicious and came on a great night when I was hurting.
The boys did well, for the most part. I liked many of the pictures, and put them in the order of my favorites on this post. Caleb kept wanting to walk away from the girl, even though he was enjoying himself and Joshua wanted to step right in to take his place. He loves being photographed!
Caleb started saying his second word over the weekend. Beyond the mama, dadda, and other baby babbles, Caleb distinctly says "MORE!" We can now add to that, "QUACK!" He loved the duck the boys got on Saturday and now quacks on demand. When we were at the mall playground, he went right up to the duck and said "quack quack quack!" This is a favorite for Shawn & me. We giggle each time at how cute it is!
Caleb is also starting to point out pictures in books. He loves the "Kiss Good Night" book we used to read to the Bean and is starting to pick out the bear and the mouse, just like Joshua did at this age. We're also trying to teach Caleb his body parts.
The boys love to play together. They are so close! Caleb tries to do everything Joshua does. Sometimes this is amusing to the Bean; other times, it can be frustrating that he has to share. They do often end up laughing with one another.
Last night, Shawn said he needed caffeine, so we went to the Starbucks drive-through since we had a coupon. Joshua always asks for his "joker face" song (which to the rest of the world is known as "Poker Face") and then he starts to dance. Last night he kept telling us to watch him dance and then watch Caleb dance. It looked like a scene out of a TV commercial "dah-dah-dah." They were both bopping their heads and smiling away at the music. We giggled...then joined in.
Yesterday and today have been rainy, so they haven't been able to do much outside. I think they're both restless. I'm a little tired of being in the house myself, but I'm also too sore to think of wrestling with them out and about. Hopefully soon I'll be feeling 110% better!
Tomorrow is my next surgery. Please pray that the boys have fun with Grandma & Shawn over the weekend and that everything goes well!
.jpg)
Hope you both have a great year!
Soon it was time to go. I was feeling sore, and thankfully that place isn't all that big. So, we came home and rested for awhile. When the boys woke up, Daddy filled their little Wally-the-whale pool and both boys enjoyed standing in the water and splashing around a bit, even though it was chilly. He got them dried off and dressed when they were all done, and we headed to McDonald's on Manheim Pike for dinner. Neither of us felt up to cooking (we were both exhausted) and we had been wanting to check out the indoor playground (which was nothing to write home about). Joshua ate maybe a handful of fries, and Caleb had some chicken nuggets. A little duck was in their value meal, and both boys thought this thing was cute. 
When we got home, I elevated my sore legs again. Shawn was also tired and itchy from his poison ivy. He let the boys play outside for a few minutes, which was long enough that Caleb fell in our driveway and got his first ever boo-boo on his knee. Daddy took him in and changed him into his PJ's before I could get a picture. We then let the boys play in the office, and Daddy took a couple quick pictures of the Bean on his 34-month birthday.
I can't believe how Joshua is growing (not that these pictures do him any justice)! His mind is developing so rapidly now. Not only can he count, tell us all the colors (even some of the trickier ones like white, etc), knows all the alphabet letters, etc, he sees along to most songs now with the actual words, and we just love to see the way he thinks about things. When he got out of the car the day that my mom helped me with the boys by taking us all to her house, he pointed and said "look, the moon." And it was! Not only was the sun shining, you could also still see the moon. He loves tractors and birds and butterflies, and he loves to see how things work. He'll really listen as we tell him things and repeat it back at different times when we're not expecting it. I also love how he gently pats Caleb's head to show him affection. Potty training is still off and on. Some days he's awesome about telling us and awesome about wanting to use the potty, and so forth. Other days, he's not really interested. It's more of a process than I thought it would be, but I think that's normal. (Since I've never done this before, I have no idea!). All in all, our Bean is growing up to be an amazing kid. Both Shawn & I feel like we can trust him, which really shows his maturity as a child. We trust that he doesn't get into things, that he's gentle with others, that he's going to behave in certain situations. We talked about this phenomenon the other day...how much Joshua is growing and both of us as parents have such a deep respect and love for him. He has definitely changed since his headbanging/screaming-fits days, and he is really turning out to be an amazing kid! We got his 33-month evaluation in the mail - once again we have a letter that says he's developing normally. God is SO GOOD! All the time! Happy 34-month birthday, my Bean! Enjoy the last few months of being two!
The doctor was running a little late, but I finally was taken back for surgery close to 10:30 am. They started me out on my belly and told me that I wouldn't be completely out for the surgery. However, at the first stab (I later found out that they put holes the entire way up my leg as they shot a numbing agent in with a needle), I felt the pain immediately. The anethstesiologist asked me if I was surprised and I said "No, it's not out of shock that I'm wincing, it HURTS!!!" Almost immediately I was put all but completely out. I remember them waking me to roll me over and they were putting that stuff on your legs that preps them for surgery. I smiled and said "instant tan" and everyone laughed. The next thing I remember is waking up in recovery with my compression stocking already on. They gave me two good doses of pain medication through my IV that felt wonderful, some Lornadoones and some diet gingerale and sent us on our way.
My husband, for taking off work to be with me and putting up with my whining when I'm sore. He also comes home from after working all day and takes care of the kids and tells me to rest. He's amazing.
Nonie, who picked up both boys on Tuesday and watched them for the day so I could rest. It was a huge help!
And lastly my two amazing little boys who have had to put up with their mommy moving slower than usual and not taking them outside as much (since I'm not supposed to get the leg too hot, etc). They have been sooo good through this entire ordeal.
We invited both sides of both our families, our life group friends and my dear friend Suzanne, who unfortunately couldn't make it. It ended up being our family (Shawn, me, Joshua & Caleb), of course; my sister Jen & her husband Mike and their five kids Grace, Faith, Emma, Daniel & John; Grandma (my mom) & her husband Ken; my sister Becky & her husband Tim; Shawn's brother Brian & his two kids Grant & Jenavieve; Shawn's sister Missy & her husband Kevin; Shawn's sister Hilary; Nonie & Poppy (Shawn's dad); Shawn's sister Alicia & her son Jordon; Shawn's Grandma Good; and our lifegroup friends Becca & Angel with their kids Alayna & Kyla; Chris & Lisa with their daughter Isabella; and John & Angie with their daughters Lael & Alonna. I don't think I missed anyone!
Unfortunately, Caleb was somewhat crabby that entire afternoon. First, I thought he might be hungry...
So, we invited our guests to eat. Shawn was the grill-master (thank you, love!) and cooked hamburgers & hot dogs. We also served macaroni salad (thanks for your help, mom!), watermelon, a veggie tray, doritos, chips, pickles and all the fixins that go along with the burgers, etc.
Eventually I got the boys something to eat and tried to scarf a little myself before getting Caleb back down, who continued to cry. :(
Joshua & Daniel ate together at the picnic table.
Most everyone else sat on their lawn chairs and mingled.
Before long it was time to break out the cake. I had ordered both cakes at Giant, where you get a free round cake for your child's first birthday. They were marble with buttercream frosting, and we had three types of ice cream: chocolate, vanilla and 'party cake' (which Shawn picked out - and it was delicious, I might add).
With the 'pleasant' breeze, the 1 candle blew out before I reached Caleb as we sang to him. That was okay, though.
Unlike Joshua, who dove right in, Caleb simply put a finger in the icing and decided he didn't want any. He cried 'til we got him down, and the cake was basically in tact.
I took him inside to see if I could calm him down, and he tried to go to sleep. I realized that he had taken an earlier-than-normal nap, which had been great for us in getting things done for the party (like chopping veggies) but it didn't work so great for him, who was now exhausted.
I didn't let him nap because we had gifts to open, but eventually he got a second wind. I felt bad he didn't enjoy his cake (or his party, really). 
I also didn't get to chat much with anyone 'til the end of the night because I was walking him around. He was a momma's boy, which is okay by me (for now). :)
Unforutnately, we couldn't give Bean much attention either since Daddy was grilling and I was consoling Caleb. I think our guests picked up on his need for love, though. That night after the party, he decided to come and snuggle us in bed and told us basically that he had missed us all day. He was so cute that we couldn't say no, especially with my surgery the next day.
People were starting to leave, so we knew it was time to keep the party moving and started opening gifts with Caleb.
He got some very cute books...
and toys...
...money for college and more!
When the party crowd had died down, Caleb actually started enjoying himself. Some of the aunts & uncles took the kids across the street to the playground, which I know Bean loved. Our life group friends with their little ones stayed and we sat in a circle and chatted while Caleb played and played and played. 
Soon everyone parted ways and we cleaned up outside and inside and prepared for the next day. Caleb stayed up until almost midnight - his second wind carried him way past his bedtime, and he refused to lay down. Then Joshua came into our room about an hour after Caleb finally passed out. So, we got no sleep that night, but I'm not sure how much I would have gotten anyway the night before my surgery. I love my boys. Happy 1st birthday, Caleb Luke!
Our trip to Florida began on Friday, July 3. Shawn had the day off for Independence Day anyway, so it was one less vacation day he had to use. We had a leisurely morning, including breakfast at home, finishing up our last-minute packing and me cleaning the house and making the beds before we left (nothing feels better than coming home to an organized house, to me anyway!). We were off around 10:30ish to head to Baltimore to catch our plane. We parked in the daily garage rather than our favorite express lot since the coupon for express had expired, and we had to go up 7 "circles" (as the Bean called them) to find a space. Then we had to take a crowded bus to the airport, and Joshua was TERRIFIED! He cried and cried, and thankfully someone gave up their seat so I could sit with both boys. He begged "Please...all done bus!" And, I told him he had to be brave to get to the airport to see the airplanes (which he loves) and see Mamaw and Papaw Ginder. He soon found courage and said "I'll tell Papaw I was brave on the bus." And he did!
Our flight didn't leave quite on time, and we got re-directed slightly around some weather in Tampa, FL. Eventually we arrived at Sarasota. I'm not sure why when the boys nap in the afternoon, two hours can fly by like a blink of an eye; but, those same two hours can feel far longer than an eternity on an airplane with two kids. Both of them did extremely well, but Caleb was restless and it was difficult to keep him amused to sit still.
Joshua ran to greet Grandma & Grandpa when we got off the plane. He was so excited! From there we went in the rental mini-van to meet Aunt Erica at Dutch Heritage for dinner. The mennonite buffet was delicious and the gift shop was neat. And we found out that the boys were dressed in their "Gator" colors...I guess that's a sports team...haaa!!!
We left there to drive to Anna Maria (sp?) Island, where we dipped our toes in the warm ocean water. The beach sand was soft, the temperature was perfect, the breeze was awesome, and everything was beautiful. We were glad to be on the ground and in Florida.
And we were happy to see the family. I loved these pictures of Grandpa & Aunt Erica swinging the Bean into the ocean.
We were glad that Erica was able to be off for most of our trip. I road back with her from the beach, which was a little ways away. We giggled at Papaw's slow driving (sorry, Grandpa!), especially when the Bean's in the car. After all, he has "precious" cargo.
Caleb wanted so badly to get down and walk/crawl into the ocean. Maybe next year, buddy! We realized that we travel somewhere around each kiddo's birthday. Just before Joshua turned one (literally the week before), we flew down to see my Dad in Atlanta. Just before Joshua turned two (again, the weekend before), we flew down to the family in Florida. This time it was just before Caleb's birthday. Will we plan a trip before Joshua's? Who knows? We're sort of last minute people!
Thus ended Friday, our first day gone...
We woke up Saturday morning and donned our identical flag t-shirts. Bummer that we never got a picture with the four of us next to each other. Oh well!
Grandma & Grandpa picked us up from the hotel and we went out to Fisherman's Village. We sat at Harpoon Harry's, one of our favorite restaurants, and watched the boats over the water. Joshua loved it, and we thought the atmosphere with the flags was so neat! Later that night, we returned to watch the fireworks over the water.
Next, since it was too early to actually eat at Harpoon Harry's, we went to the restaurant at Burnt Furnace, where I ate a delicious Gyro, one of my favorites. Afterward, we stopped at Walmart where Grandpa & Grandma bought Joshua a green fun noodle, swim-floaties and a green pool ball. He was in heaven!
I couldn't believe how he got right in and could swim with these floaties! After reminding him to keep his head up (and not drink the water!), he swam all by himself from Daddy to Grandpa and back and forth. He loved it! My favorite expression from this time was "I'm swimming like a fish, too!" to Grandpa.
They blew up a turtle tube for Caleb to float around on. He liked it for awhile since he could splash and not have to be held, but he gets bored pretty quick.
I think the best part of their pool is that it's all screened in. No bugs, no dirt, etc. That also means very little sun, though, too. I think I came back whiter than what I started!
The boys did not nap that afternoon and got a little grumpy (an understatement). We tried going back to our hotel room around suppertime in a last ditch effort to get them some much-needed rest to no avail. They slept less than an hour and it was time to get ready for dinner.
We went to Steak 'n Shake, which was a neat little place that reminded me of a Johnny Rockets back from the '50s. The waitress' name was also Valerie, spelled just like mine.
Joshua wore his hat for a little while, but what he really liked was the cardboard car. We all ate burgers and fries (sort of like grilling for the 4th of July, only no work!) and drank milkshakes...an all-American anti-diet meal. It was so good, I'm salivating just thinking of it.
Caleb was pretty well spent after supper, so Grandma offered to stay at the hotel room with him while the rest of us headed to the fireworks festivities. Grandpa got a great parking space near the water, and I got so many mosquito bites I likened them to the measels. We walked around the festival, where there was a live band and many different stands and what not.
Finally just after 9:30 pm the fireworks started. Joshua said "I'm okay" after the first loud boom. Thereafter, he ran to Daddy's arms and held on for dear life...he was shaking with terror. We walked back to the van while he said "All done noisies." After we got back in the van, Grandpa parked in a parking lot and turned the vehicle sideways so we all saw the lovely display with elevator music in the background and the air conditioning on. Joshua then loved this beautiful display of lights, minus the noise and the crowds. I think in another year he would like it more.
Aunt Erica was ready with the glow-in-the-dark bracelets and "neck-e-less" as Joshua called them. He loved these novelties! And so did she, as you can tell.
We were dropped off at the hotel room just after 10:30 pm, and thankfully Grandma had already knocked Caleb out, who slept pretty well throughout the night. He woke up twice and got himself back to sleep through crying (although the next morning he felt like an ice cube, so I think he was just cold when he woke up). The night before he had refused to sleep in the hotel room in his pack 'n play and finally passed out around 4:30 am on top of me, so I got less than three hours of sleep total. I needed the rest that 4th of July night. Happy Independence Day!
Sunday morning, we did our family photo shoot on the beach. I've seen lots of friends do family pictures by the ocean, and I've really wanted some, too. So, we decided to head to Gasparilla Island in our white shirts and khakis to get some shots. We waited over half an hour outside for Grandma & Grandpa and Aunt Erica to arrive, but thankfully the boys didn't get too dirty. I think the photos turned out really well, for the most part. I wish the boys would have looked up and smiled, but it was pretty hot and bright for them.
When we arrived on the Island, Papaw rented a golf cart for the family (how the locals get around). Joshua thought this was the coolest thing ever! We all loved it - it was great to be able to see the mansions and smell, hear and feel the ocean air. Joshua repeated "look out for the trees!" as we passed low-hanging grape trees. (On a side note, he also warned the pilot of this as he was landing the plane in Baltimore.)
Caleb snuggled next to his beloved Dadda. He was hot and semi-cranky, unlike the Bean that was enthralled with this new experience.
This was the first picture taken - us and lil' Caleb Luke, who looked onward to the ocean rather than toward the camera.
I loved this picture of Shawn & me. It was actually one of the last ones we took as we were walking back to the golf cart. Isn't the lighting from heaven just awesome? And I love the back drop.
The above photo was my favorite family shot since you can see all our faces.
Can you tell the sun was bright and warm? We should have had our swimsuits with us!
I loved the boat in the background of this picture above.
The gulf breeze is just awesome!
Aunt Erica & the boys. Great shot!
Grandma & Caleb - they bonded over the week.
Where's Papaw? He's taking the picture!
Now the fam's all here! I liked this picture, too, once it was cropped.
That afternoon, they took us for drive-through for the boys and we headed back to the hotel for naps. It took awhile to get them down, but they did sleep. Soon we got a call to see if we were ready for dinner. We ate at the Oyster Bar and looked out the windows to the water. After supper, we went back to their house to swim and then celebrate Caleb's first birthday. Aunt Erica baked and decorated this cake.
And we sang to our little guy!
And he opened his gifts - thank you!
I loved the picture below...check out the spoon in mid-drop.
Here Caleb is practicing is surfing moves...
Joshua spent the night at Grandma & Grandpa's house that night and Grandma taxied us back to our hotel room. Thus ended Sunday night... our vacation was over half way done.
Meanwhile, the boys were back enjoying some time with Aunt Erica and napping. Doesn't Joshua look so old in this picture?
After that, we drove around Casey Key to look at the outside of the mansions as we do on every trip. Then we headed to Sharky's on the water at Shawn's request. It was absolutely beautiful and definitely a highlight of our trip. We loved eating outside overlooking the ocean.
If only these people would move out of the way...they're blocking our view! Oh, wait, that's us!
We paused for a quick kiss photo opt while Shawn's mom toasted us with her tea.
So, we joined her for a toast for a fun afternoon and a wonderful Aunt Erica.
We headed back thereafter to grab our kiddos and took them to get on our swimsuits. Joshua & Shawn swam for a little while with the Ginders while Caleb & I waited to get wet since we were anxious to get to the Beach in the sunlight.
On the way to the beach, Caleb cried and cried. We had spent enough time at the house that it was suppertime and the boys seemed to be hungry. So, we stopped at the Clock Restaurant in Venice to grab some dinner.
'Til we got to the beach, the sun was pretty well gone. Grandma took Caleb on a walk in the stroller and he passed out. Erica & Shawn helped the Bean build a sand castle even though it was chilly there with the gulf breeze.
He loved it! He loved the sand castle, he loved dipping his feet in the ocean, he loved getting water in the little plastic fish. He was so excited for the beach. In fact, he's asked me to go back every night since then. Hopefully another time we'll be able to get more beach time in.
Pretty soon it was time to get cleaned up and head back to our hotel room to pack our belongings since we had to leave early the next morning. Once again the Bean spent the night at Grandma & Grandpa's house. He got a bath there to wash off his sandiness, and we put Caleb in the shower with Shawn to clean him up from the day.
Thus ended our last real day of vacation.
Tuesday morning Shawn, Caleb & I ate breakfast down in the breakfast room and then headed back to grab our things around 9 am when Grandma & Grandpa arrived (unfortunately, Erica had to go back to work that morning).
Because we were late, Daddy drove me straight to the Bible study without stopping. Since my friend Lisa is doing the study with me, I took Joshua along to keep her daughter Isabella company. Caleb was tired of traveling, so he went straight home with Daddy. When the Bible study was over at 8:30 pm, Grandma dropped me and the Bean off. We got both boys to bed and then I unpacked and started some laundry. We love to take vacations, but there truly is no place like home when you have little guys. Shawn was back to work the next morning, and we were back in our routine as well, as we celebrated Caleb's birthday that next day. Thanks for a great time, Grandma & Grandpa (and Erica!).
They said that his growth looks normal for him. His last appointment he went to the 50th percentile for height and 25th for weight and this is following along the same curve. Now, I tend to think that Caleb looks gi-normous compared to our Bean, but he's really on the low side too! These were Joshua's stats almost exactly!!! 
Everything else going on with Caleb is normal. His reaction to milk is fine; although we're welcome to try soy and see if it reduces his digestive issues. Most of all, it's just important that he gets calcium. So long as that's happening through other food sources, any amount of milk he drinks is fine. Dr. Kernan also thought it was great that he was walking and can say a few words. I also asked about him biting, and she said it will go away on its own when he's able to communicate his frustration more. In general, Caleb is healthy as a horse! Which is good because she said they've been so busy with soooo many sicknesses right now. I guess both cold symptoms and flu symptoms are on the rise for some reason, which she said is rare for summer.
After Caleb's doctor's appointment, we went to JCPenney's, where I got another dip. I know that's awful, but I'm just not sure what else to call her. Needless to say, I only ordered one free picture even though there were a couple cute ones because I had no desire to give them any money... she was not friendly, didn't know what she was doing, etc. UGH! What a waste of time! 
Now we're back, fed and it's just about nap time. Later hopefully we'll be able to play outside. It's gorgeous - in the 70s with a slight breeze and the sun shining. :) :) :)
Here's a good picture of his teeth...poor guy! Hopefully his permanent teeth come in much straighter than his baby teeth. If not, thank God for braces.
I still think he's adorable. I love his easygoing personality (for the most part; although, we found out he's not much of a traveler yet!). He is currently in awe of Daddy and can't get enough of him, which Shawn loves.
He also is an explorer, a climber and an adventurer with no fear. He will do just about anything Joshua does, and he doesn't care how high up he is, etc.
I love his sweet smile. He is getting so much personality these days. His favorite game to play is peekaboo. He also loves patty cake. And while he likes to interact, he's a busy boy. He's really only cuddly at night for the most part. Otherwise, he'd rather be down playing...and getting into everything!
Mom watched the boys for an hour this morning so I could get a last-minute prescription filled for my surgery on Monday. Then we went for a walk, played in the garage, played in the office, napped (I worked out while the boys slept) and then played outside this afternoon. I made the suggestion of going to Park City tonight to Shawn since I thought Caleb might like it. Boy did he ever! While Joshua was terrified the first time we took him (around 18 months), Caleb had no fear whatsoever. He climbed right up the vegetable/fruit slide while Daddy trembled and I balanced. He did an awesome job of getting up and sliding down! He was keeping up with the big kids!
He also loved this duck and climbed right up the big bed and would slide down. He loved to climb, walk and explore. Other parents there were impressed with his age and mobility, as we are!
Here he's posing in the soccer ball. He and Joshua both had a blast tonight! In the picture below, they're sitting in the police car in the middle. To all you other parents out there, don't waste your money! It ate our dollar and never started, but that might have been for our benefit since we read the sign afterward that said the age minimum was 3. Whoops!
When we got home, we gave Caleb a 'mini-cake' for his birthday and sang to him (which Joshua loved - he told Caleb "happy birthday!" all day).
We all shared this little piece of chocolate heaven, which the boys didn't seem to like.
Soon it was time for jammies and a story, rocking and singing, prayers and night-night.
Happy birthday, my lil' Caleb Luke! I can't believe how much you've grown in a year. Can't I just keep you little forever???
Tomorrow is Caleb's first birthday, and I'm looking forward to spending my day playing with and loving on him (and the Bean!). While it's fun to get away, there's truly no place like home. :)
