Easter 2011!

Easter was wonderful this year. It's so fun when children get big enough to be able to appreciate holidays.

Of course we taught Caleb about the meaning of Easter; how Christ suffered for our sins and pains in Gethsemane and on the cross, and how he rose again to give us the gift of Eternal Life. How God loves us enough to let His beloved son suffer in anguish for us. How Christ loves us enough to suffer that much and how we never have to feel alone in our trials because he has felt every pain that every person who has ever lived or who will ever live has felt, and he's there for us if we seek him.

I think it'll take a while for Caleb to fully understand that one...

But he sure caught on quick when it came to the egg hunt!

Yes, this was his Easter basket, and no, it was nowhere close to full. We decided to be cheap and practical this year. It now holds toys.

Ah, the lovely Easter outfit.

Ah, the lovely face smash.

We get this look a lot these days. I think it's his thinking face. He happens to think a lot. I guess that's a good thing...?

Ah, the angelic eyes.

Thanks!

We had a successful march and I couldn't post another blog post without thanking everyone who contributed! (I swear, the time has been going by so slowly lately, but somehow it's been a while since I blogged. Sorry.)

Here is our team:

It was cold and snowy:

But it was fun!:

It felt great to be able to honor Caleb by marching, and it felt even better to be able to contribute to saving the lives of other babies just like him. I look forward to doing it again next year!

On Saturday: We MARCH!

I am issuing one last call for help. I know that so many of you care a lot about Caleb. We have been blessed with so much love and support from you in the past year and a half. You all look forward to hearing about Caleb's latest accomplishments and you find joy in all of the entertaining things that he does.

We are fortunate. Not everyone is so fortunate. Babies die. My friend's baby died. There were at least two babies who died in the NICU while Caleb was there. The NICU is a sacred place. It's a place of healing, and bonding, and growth. But sometimes it becomes a place of heartache. It shouldn't be like this. Every woman who desires to be a mother should be able to have a baby of her own, to hold and care for. Babies shouldn't have to be in constant pain. They shouldn't need to have surgeries. They shouldn't need to have tubes, wires, and IVs. The birth of your child shouldn't have a tragic undertone. Every baby should be born healthy.

But it won't happen on its own. It's up to you. You have the power to give life to children who would have otherwise died. People like you donated for the last few decades, and because of it, I have a child who is alive. Now it's your turn. Save the next generation of babies. Show support until premature birth is a thing of the past.

Click HERE to donate!

We have to make eating fun around here...

So we taught Caleb this trick:

Proof!

Here is proof that Caleb really does say a lot of words.

And you can see a little bit of how he waves.

Just now I was watching this video on my computer, and Caleb came over and said every single word over again. Including, "Can you say 'dog'?" "Arf!"

Oh, and I forgot to tell you yesterday, Caleb also knows how to blow on his food to cool it down. :)

Lately...

I think it's about time that I update you all on Caleb's development again. It's been a while.

As of today (at almost 17 months of age, almost 14 months adjusted) Caleb:

• Weighs somewhere in the low 16-pound range
• Wears size three diapers
• Has outgrown about half of his 3-6 month clothes, and has grown into most of his 6-9 month clothes
• Takes one afternoon nap per day
• WALKS on his own all over the place, but still crawls a lot because he hasn't figured out how to stand up without pulling himself up on something
• Laughs at the oddest things: when I blow my nose, when I use the bulb syringe on his nose, when I wipe his bum while changing a dirty diaper...
• Has finally learned how to drink from a sippy cup (but ONLY the old tupperware kind that I used as a kid and aren't spill-proof)

• Chews and rips his food with his teeth very well (I'm talkin' I can give him a whole piece of bread and he'll take bites, as long as he doesn't throw it to the dog)
• Can identify toes and belly on himself and others
• Identifies things in pictures (balls, dogs)
• Answers correctly when you ask, "What does a dog say?"
• Thinks that all hairy animals in books are dogs
• Loves to clap his hands when I sing pat-a-cake
• Is no longer scared of the washer and dryer
• Initiates peek-a-boo often
• Waves bye-bye by flicking his fingers against his thumb
• Loves to "sing" along when I sing, he hears soft music, and even did it when the Mormon Tabernacle Choir was singing
• Dances by flapping his arms up and down

Caleb is still a little bit delayed with gross motor skills. He doesn't even come close to using a spoon yet. But he's catching up well, and he's rather advanced vocally and developmentally.

He talks a LOT! These are the words that he knows (his own pronunciations, if different, are in parenthesis):

1. dog (da)
2. mama
3. dada
4. auntie (aunto)
5. toes
6. baby (bayba)
7. bye-bye (ba-baaaaaw)
8. night-night (nigh-nigh)
9. duck (du)
10. book (bah)
11. ball (bah)
12. Jesus (Jesuh)
13. sock (sah)
14. no (sometimes no, sometimes doh)
15. thank-you (day-du)
16. gentle (dendo)
17. arf (what a dog says--Meggie Dog taught him this one)
18. shhh (as in "be quiet")
19. uh-oh

Here is a video of Caleb pounding his belly (another fun new trick), identifying his toes (and saying "toe," too), and identifying Mama's belly.

Unfortunately, when he tries to say "belly," it comes out "baby," always pointing at my tummy. No, there is not a baby in Mama's tummy. Sorry, bud.

My Toddler!

This was taken just a minute ago, but it all started last night.

Weird...now I can finally say that I have a toddler! I can truly say that I enjoyed having a baby for 16.5 months. And I'm impressed that my 27-weeker walked at the adjusted age of 13.5 months. But I'm very excited that he can now walk.

Although, he still can't get to a stand unless he pulls himself up on something. I bet he'll figure that one out soon, though.

:D