Caleb Luke is Having a Party - Whoo! Whoo!

[If you've ever seen the "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" video about Halloween, they sing a song that says "Pete is having a party...whoo! whoo!" which came to mind when thinking about Caleb's birthday party. If not, the title of this post is lost on you.]

Here's the Invitation to Caleb's Party: 

We're blowing up balloons and icing the cake
For a birthday party that we hope you can make!
 
Create-your-own ice cream sundaes and time to play!
Caleb would love to see you on his special day!

So get your calendar out and circle the date!
Caleb's 3rd birthday party is gonna be great!

Miles of Smiles!

Today, July 15, Ryan smiled at me for the first time. There was no mistaking his grin. LOVE it!

The Bean, the Bluke & the Schnookie

Joshua was nicknamed "Jumping Bean" from the Fetal Maternal Medicine specialist Dr. Bayliss. Shawn said he thinks every child is nicknamed "bean" in Lancaster County because all babies are the shapes of a bean at some point in their gestation. But, it has stuck for us. And, at 3 lbs at birth, Bean seemed to fit! Little Caleb Luke thought his name was "Brother" at first and then later called himself "Bluke" when we asked his name. So, that's been his nickname. For some reason, I started calling Ryan my little Schnook or Schnookie and it has just stuck. Shawn asked why he doesn't get to weigh in on the babies' nicknames. My response? I have no idea why I started calling him that, but at this point I've done it so much that the boys also call Ryan "schnookie" at times. It's funny for me to hear because I did it kind of mindlessly.

I still remember Cosby's "Kids say the darndest things" and I'm constantly laughing at our little guys'  take on life. Here are some things about their baby brother that I've found comical.

The boys on feeding babies:
Joshua: "Mommies feed babies from their bellies."
Caleb: "Mommies feed their babies from their milk jubs" (spelled with a 'b' since that's how it sounded out of his mouth).

I cracked up! No need to give them the correct terms for now... I don't even think they care for the most part. Joshua has a little baby that he tried to breast feed. Silly goose!

The boys on babies' soiled diapers:
Both boys: "RY-AN!" (at the noise they hear, amongst laughter and talks of loud tooters... they are all boys!)
Joshua: "Babies poop in diapers because their legs are too little to walk them to the potty."
Caleb: "Can I watch as you change his diaper? Is that his poops?" He is fascinated!

The boys on showing affection to babies:
Joshua: "Babies like it when we tickle their toes." So, my mom asked him if he likes his feet tickled (since Ryan obviously gets irritated by people touching his feet), to which Joshua responded "No, but I'm sure I did when I was a baby" (said in a voice like 'duh! he's a baby!'). He also loves to give him kisses, which I will allow as long as I'm watching. He always asks first.
Caleb: "Can I hold your baby?" and when I replied no, he said "I want my OWN baby!"

The boys' on babies' talking/crying:
Joshua: "Babies cry because they can't talk. We need to talk to teach them how to talk."
Caleb: "That baby cries a lot."

The boys on playing with babies:
Joshua: Any time the baby has his eyes open, no matter where they are focused "Look, the baby is looking at me. He loves me!" He also says "I will play with you, Ryan! I'm your big brother!" and the Bean will show him toys and play with his little toys.
Caleb: "He's too little!" or "Put the baby down!" or taking the baby's toy to play with himself. He is interacting more and more with little Ryan, though. He's just not quite as excited as Joshua!


***These pictures are from our photo shoot at Penny's on 7/6/11, scheduled for Ryan's 1-month birthday the following day and Caleb's 3rd birthday in two days. I thought the pictures turned out great, and I spent way too much money buying several!***

Out of this World!

After baths, I picked a clean set of PJs out for both boys. I told Joshua that his jammie shirt said "Space Racer: My Mom is Out of This World!" He frowned and said, "But I want you to stay in my world. And live in my house!" I smiled. And I said "Deal!"

Caleb is wearing his new monkey PJ's he got for his birthday, which he loves. (Thanks, Aunt Jen!)

Fireworks & Fun

On Saturday, July 2, we celebrated Independence Day with our friends Chris & Lisa and their daughter Isabella. They had invited us over to their house for a cookout and to see the Marietta fireworks, which I think has become a yearly tradition. At first I was nervous when they asked us because we hadn't had any major outings with little Ryan yet. But, then I realized that we're going to have to get comfortable being out and about with another baby, and if there's anyone who would have the utmost grace for us, it's our friends. They are really a fantastic family. Here they are pictured below with their dog Bailey.

Last year we got a great shot of our family on their deck. This year, the boys wanted nothing to do with taking a family picture. But, this is our family of five (below). It's crazy to even say that... a family of five. On a side note, we went out to dinner recently and I said "there's five in our party." It sounded strange to me! And I realized that we no longer fit at a regular small table. I also smiled as I was doing laundry and added another pile to the folded washed clothes. I'm so happy to have little Ryan in our family! And our other boys!

Joshua & Caleb love little Isabella, who is in between the two in age. They had a great time playing with her while we were there! We also feasted on grilled hot dogs, cheeseburgers, homemade macaroni salad, strawberries, chips, cupcakes and brownies. And we listened to music and chatted about current events and life in general.

We are praying for our friends that they can have another baby - please join us in praying for them! They have a big heart for children, and Lisa took some great pictures of little Ryan.

She also took some great shots of the boys enjoying the sand box at their house. The kids were a mess afterward, but they had fun. Caleb also loves their dog and would follow it around.

As it started getting dark, we saw more fireflies come out. The kids were intrigued to catch some. I would guess most of the rest of these pictures were taken after 8:30 pm, our typical bed time for the boys. I was nursing Ryan on a chair on their deck while they were out in the yard, starting to do sparklers. I love the photo of Joshua & Isabella below! The Bean was wearing his flag shirt from Mamaw that she had bought him. Caleb wore Joshua's old shirt from two years ago, and I convinced Daddy to wear his flag shirt.

While the boys LOVED sparklers last year, they were terrified of them this year. Joshua didn't want to get burned, and even though we showed him how to hold them that he wouldn't get hurt, he was NOT interested. Caleb follows his big brother's lead, so he would only pull on Daddy's arm when he had one but would not take one himself. Isabella, on the other hand, had a blast with them once again!

We tried to do more sparklers on July 4th at our house, but the boys weren't interested once again. We'll try again next year!

The boys plopped down next to each other, which was so cute! They were watching Isabella do her sparklers. They loved watching them; they just didn't want to hold them.

It was almost 9:30 when we told the boys to get their shoes back on and I burped baby Ryan and we headed out to the fireworks in Marietta. I loved the photo of Caleb below!

We parked at the same spot as last year, which gives us great parking and a fantastic view of the fireworks without being right underneath them. The guys went inside to buy us a soda and didn't come out for over half an hour. Chris knew someone inside and they were all talking while Lisa & I chatted and the kids had fun. Thankfully, Ryan fell asleep in the car on the way over and continued sleeping on top of me while I sat in my chair.

Isabella & Caleb were snuggling while they waited for the fireworks. He put his arm around her and told her it was okay, and gave her a little kiss. She did the same to him. It was SO cute! We told Joshua that Caleb had taken his little girlfriend. He could have cared less - he wanted to see the fireworks! He kept asking when they would start.

About 10:30 the skies lit up with a beautiful display of colors and lights... but the banging noise scared the Bean, even though we had reminded him that fireworks are LOUD! He told us that he was tired and wanted to go home. And he begged to get in the minivan. I said sure. Caleb wanted to follow his big brother once again. While they were so excited for fireworks, the boys didn't last long. I think they were both tired. I was afraid it would be Ryan who didn't make it, and he slept through all the noise and lights. Since both boys wanted in the van, I suggested we just go. We bid our friends farewell and thanked them for inviting us along. We had a great time with them once again! Shawn joked on the ride home that we beat the traffic leaving. :)

It was almost midnight until we got the boys in their PJs and tucked into bed. Joshua was still up before 6 am the following day. But, he was a bit touchy, as we could tell he was extra tired. We still had a nice long weekend for the 4th of July. Shawn accomplished lots of yard work that needed done, and I got our house cleaned, which again needed it. It was also nice to be home together, and it was fantastic to hang out with our friends. Happy 4th of July!

Caleb Luke at 3 Years

 

When I think of Caleb, I always smile. Simply put, he is a treasured part of our family. He has added so much joy to our lives! His soft sweet voice, his easy going personality, his interaction with his older brother, his gentleness... there is so much that I love about my sweet Caleb Luke!

I can't get over how grown he looks in these pictures. I still think of him as my baby. But, he reminds me that Ryan is the baby now, and he's a big boy! Yes, it's true... even though he'll always be my baby, he's growing quickly! At his doctor's appointment this morning, his stats were:
HEIGHT: 39" - 80%
WEIGHT: 34 lbs - 74%
BMI: 39th percentile (anything between 10 and 85 is good)

According to Dr. Tifft, who we saw today, Caleb should grow to be 6 ft tall and is progressing very well.

Dr. Tifft also asked questions about Caleb's cognitive abilities and seemed impressed that he knew all his letters, their sounds and is starting to put words together. He also seemed impressed that he can dress himself and can unbutton shirts and sometimes button them on his own. Over and over again, the doctor told me how unusual Caleb is developmentally for his age and how well he was doing. That's my sharp little man! He takes after his daddy. :)

I remember so much about Caleb's life... I remember being thrilled when he was a baby and I'd say "kisses, Caleb" and he'd pucker up to give me a smooch. I have always been intrigued by his growth and ability to learn. I remember his soft fuzzy hair and bright blue eyes, along with his long eye lashes. He has the sweetest little cheeks and the softest touch to his hands. These are things that I hope I'll remember forever.

Caleb has been completely potty trained for awhile, but he still wears a diaper to bed. We'll start working on overnights soon enough with him. He still asks for M&M's because he LOVES chocolate. He also loves blueberries and grapes. He devours watermelon with us as well, and he enjoys apples and other fruits, too. He'll never turn bread down, and I'd say his favorite meal in the world is peanut butter & jelly. But, he eats more of a variety of foods than his big brother is willing to try. He usually eats well at most meals.

Caleb is very patient, too. I think that this character trait helps him to learn. He doesn't get frustrated when something doesn't go his way; he tries again until he masters it. He's starting to learn how to ride his bike, but he also just likes to push it around. He buckles his own car seat and can put his own shoes on and off, but he does struggle at times with socks. They're a bit more difficult! And while he has favorites of toys, many times if Joshua picks one thing, Caleb will automatically pick the other. If I have an orange plate and a blue plate, Caleb may say "I'll take the blue" (his favorite color). Joshua will pipe in "I'll take the blue" to which Caleb will respond "I'll take the ORANGE!" I LOVE LOVE LOVE this about him because it eliminates fights. They're both happy that way.

Caleb LOVES look & find books, and he also loves to play games. He likes to keep moving, though, so after a little while he'll move onto the next activity. But, I enjoy doing these things with him. He also loves to read and be read to. He's been enjoying some of the new books he got for his birthday, including one about being a big brother. Love it!

Caleb enjoys harmony and does not like when people are upset or fighting. I can see that it really bothers him, and his little face gets so sad. If Joshua is throwing a fit and the house is in an uproar, Caleb's little heart is hurt, I can tell. It's something that I have to keep in mind when I get upset. He's very much like his daddy that way, too.

Caleb loves to sing and enjoys many songs, including "Tractor Tractor." I'd say his favorite is still the God song. When I play piano, he comes up and wants to join in, too. I'll have to think about getting them lessons. I think both would do well with them.

Oh my sweet boy, how much I love you! You have certainly grown immensely over this past year. And I look forward to many more years together. You're my bestest Caleb Luke! Happy 3rd birthday!

Happy 3rd birthday, Caleb Luke!

More pictures & stories to come... 

For now, a  

BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my BIG THREE YEAR OLD! 

I love you, Caleb Luke! XOXOXO, Mom

Happy 1-month birthday, Ryan Josiah!

I truly can't believe it's been an entire month since Ryan was born. It has literally flown by! It feels like just yesterday that we were snuggling together skin-to-skin in the hospital, and yet we've been home for a few weeks now.

At this point, Ryan has been eating every two hours, but just this past week we started stretching it to between two-and-a-half to three hours between feedings. This makes a HUGE difference in how much I can accomplish in one day. He has nights where he sleeps a couple hours between feedings now, too, and then there are other nights where he cries to be held. But, I know with how fast this past month has gone, the time of this stage will fly by. I don't want to miss out on my snuggle time with my last child. So, I just try to remember that when I'm exhausted and I hear his cry in the middle of the night.

The boys are intrigued by their baby brother and both are extremely sweet to him. Joshua will tell him it's okay when he cries, and both boys will give him gentle kisses when I say it's okay.

Daddy stepped on the scale and then got on again with baby Ryan, and it registered 11 pounds. Now, Ryan was in his PJs but it will be interesting to see what he weighs at his doctor's appointment on Tuesday! I always wonder if he's still hungry, but I guess he's eating enough. Mamaw pointed out his little double chin so I guess he's growing!

Joshua loved the above photo of Ryan, noting his little bum. I too think it's precious. I took the boys to get pictures for Ryan's 1-month birthday and Caleb's 3-year birthday (along with some shots of the boys all together). I thought the gal did a great job! Ryan slept through most of the session, which was better than him being upset.

I love my sweet little boy and his little hands and soft little feet! And although there are times when I wish I could put him down to get things done, I do enjoy holding him.

Ryan is also extremely strong, I think. He can already roll from his back to his side and seems to prefer to sleep on his side. I always start him on his back, but he rarely stays that way. He hates to be put down anywhere - even things that my other boys LOVED like the swing or the bouncy seat. But, I think part of that is just his size. I'm hoping that as he grows he'll enjoy them more. He also will sleep in his car seat, but only after he's been moving for awhile....a long while.

Happy 1-month birthday, my little schnookie! I love you very much!

Dear Ryan...

I love you! XOXOXO, Mom

Big Brothers' Watchin' You!

Last Wednesday, Mom & I took the boys to the outlets, and she bought the older boys these "Big Brother" shirts to match Ryan's "Little Brother" onesie that Mamaw & Papaw had given us. That evening, I told the boys that we were going to have a fashion show (since they had to change) and photo shoot. I thought the pictures turned out really well!

I can't believe Ryan is already four weeks old! My boys have been really good sports about how much in a fog we as parents are from lack of sleep. Even though Shawn's not getting up throughout the night with Ryan, he still hears him and is getting to bed later than normal. He also sometimes moves to the couch when I bring Ryan to bed with me. While I know co-sleeping isn't a fantastic idea, right now we have to do what we have to do to survive. Some nights he does well; other nights aren't so hot.

I LOVED the photo below... Ryan is going to have two big protectors!

The older boys have recently watched the movie "A Bug's Life" and loved it. So, we got out the Cootie bug game over the weekend and played it with the boys. They had a blast with their little bugs! We also played with the potato heads and read a bunch of books as we organized them. In fact, we've played with lots of our toys, trying to mix up what we've been playing with rather than the "same old things.'

I finally did some house cleaning this past weekend, too. I think this is the dirtiest our house has been since we moved in. But, with a "needy newborn" and two preschoolers, I guess I can't beat myself up too much. And it's fairly clean now. Praise God for long weekends!

Caleb started tracing letters this week, too, rather than just writing his own. He did great! Joshua also was sounding out the words on his letter tracing pages. He did well until he got to D-O-O-R. Why do we have words that make no sense when you're working on Phonics?

Anyway, I'm trying to be intentional about giving the older boys some quality time and positive attention as I also feed the baby round the clock. Little Ryan is never happy when I put him down, so I also have to balance holding him and letting him cry. I hate to hear him cry...which quickly turns into big tears and screaming, so I'm trying to hold him and have time that I'm giving more attention to the older boys, who deserve it. I'm so thankful that Joshua & Caleb play well together. In fact, yesterday they gave each other a big hug and said "you're my best friend." It melted my mama heart!

I thought the picture of Ryan & Caleb below was precious as well. Eventually you boys will also be friends! Joshua LOVES the baby, too, and Caleb just said that he wants his OWN baby to hold.

But alas, baby Ryan is mine for now until he gets bigger and stronger that the boys can give him more love.

Daddy has also been amazing at giving the older boys attention and time when he's home from work. They soak it up! I loved the photos of him & Joshua being silly together below. I love all the boys in my life! Thanks also to Mamaw for the big brother shirts. I thought these pictures turned out great (besides the kiddos enjoying their new outfits).