Happy 47-month birthday, Caleb Luke!

On Friday, June 8, Caleb Luke turned 47-months old. This is the last 'birthday' he'll celebrate as a 3-year-old!

Caleb is getting so tall! He's easily fitting into Joshua's 5T shirts from last year (which is what he's wearing in these pictures). And his feet are getting so big! I'm guessing by fall he'll need a 12.5 shoe. He & Joshua are wearing size 12-13 Crocs this summer. With how big his feet are, we're running out of socks! And he prefers the low-rise socks (which only cover the ankle and not his entire calf).

But, with how big he is, there are times that he reminds me of how little he still is. For example, I told him that big four-year-old kids don't wet the bed anymore. He looked at me and said "You have to teach me how to not wet the bed. I don't know how." His little voice was SO sweet, and I think he was telling the truth. We used to think that he would pee in the pull-up just because he could, but I think he's such a deep sleeper that he doesn't wake up to go. And he drinks so much (which is great for hydration!) that we might have to watch his intake later at night.

Speaking of his sweet voice, it is still the cutest thing ever. I told Shawn that we're going to have to start recording it anywhere and everywhere. Some day it will be a grown man's voice, and we'll miss that darling little soft-spoken sound coming from our dear little son. His voice is seriously like sweet music to my ears!

Caleb is SO smart! It is one of the first things I think about when I think of him. He sat down the other day and completed a puzzle that is supposed to be for older children. I didn't even help him fit any of the pieces together. He LOVES to see how things fit together and work. Shawn & I commented how differently he and Joshua play with things. For example, on Daddy's iPad, Joshua will play the games and go through the apps as designed. Caleb, on the other hand, will rearrange all the buttons, get on the internet and try to explore, and take things apart to figure out how they work and how he can put them back together again. Neither is right or wrong - they are just different!

When we play baseball, Joshua can hit the ball more frequently than Caleb with a bat, but Caleb has a rocket arm in throwing the ball back. Caleb's athletic ability helps keep him from falling as he is able to balance and catch himself more quickly, it seems. He is so strong and amazing with even little things!

Caleb also LOVES one-on-one attention. He enjoys playing puzzle books, and if either one of us is running errands, he always asks to come along. And he does a super job when he's one-on-one. He'll drive a little cart around the grocery store and people eat him up. But, when he's with his brothers in the same environment, he will act out at times and pick on them until they squawk (Joshua in particular), probably for the attention. While Caleb is quiet, he is also EXTREMELY mischievous at times. He can get away with it more than his brothers, though, because he's smart and quiet about it. We need to stay on him like a hawk. But, I think he enjoys it when we give him loving boundaries. He knows then he hasn't been forgotten or placed to the side in the (sometimes) chaos of three little men.

Caleb loves to snuggle at night (really, any excuse to keep him awake - he is a night owl!) and I would say his favorite person in the whole world is Daddy. After all, he'll tell me, they're twins. :) He's excited to turn four just so he can be daddy's twin again (who's 34). Caleb enjoys doing crafts and different activities and I think he'll enjoy preschool this year. I'll miss him like crazy during those hours, but I know it's good for him.

Caleb is becoming quite the helper these days too. We talk about ways he can help and he enjoys being given some responsibility like his big brother. He doesn't like to clean like Joshua does, but he loves to help carry things and I have to remember to help them each shine in the gifts they've been given (while also realizing that not all 'chores' are fun but good for growth and self-esteem).

My little Caleb Luke is growing in leaps and bounds and I'm so very proud of him! He is a fantastic part of our family, and I love him VERY much! Happy birthday, little buddy! I'm glad you're still "free" for this month yet!

 To celebrate Caleb's birthday - and truly just because I was experiencing some cabin fever that night - Shawn decided to take the family to Chick-Fil-A for dinner that night. Yeah, Daddy! He didn't tell us where we were going but surprised us when we pulled in. The kids love to play in the indoor playground there, and we ate by ourselves with little Ryan while they played and they ate theirs when we left. It was a fun surprise and family date night. :)