Lovely Little Laugh

Caleb has been smiling  in happiness, not just random gas smiles or baby smiles, but full fledged I like you, or this makes me happy smiles since he was about 4 weeks old. For the past month or so since he has started getting really vocal he has also laughed. When he has laughed it has just been a little laugh and a big ol' smile until today.

Today we were sitting in the nursery after some tummy and back time working on our rolling over... he's got tummy to back down  like a pro and is almost just as good at back to bell but not quite yet-- I am so proud of my chunky 3 month old (14 lbs 12 oz as of yesterday). Anyway, when we got done with our "workout" the little guy was tired, so I took him in the nursery and was rocking him and reading some books.

I thought for sure he was going to fall asleep but he didn't so I propped him up on my legs facing me and just started talking to him. One thing led to another, and I found myself making up songs and being weird (I know shocker, right?). Well, as I was singing and taking my hands and tapping Caleb's sweet cheeks, he just let out the heartiest laugh. I teared up (I am telling you, motherhood has made me lamer than lame). I just kept doing this silly song and tapping his cheeks and my little buddy just kept laughing. It was such a sweet, sweet sound.

These are just some pictures from today. I know on the third you can see dog hair, normally I would be too embarrassed to share this, but I sweep and swiffer daily and brush the dog and nothing seems to keep the hair at bay... any suggestions?

Oh well, I guess there are worse things.

Well, it is crazy to think how much he has already changed in 14 quick weeks. God is such a masterful creator. I thank Him daily for this little guy and everyone else in my life, and now I'll be thanking Him for that sweet laugh too. Hope you guys all get a good laugh today!

Pumpkin Patch-ery

Yeah, I just made up a word, so deal with it.

Anyway, yesterday Daniel and I took Caleb to the Farmer in the Dell Pumpkin Patch in Loachapoka. We were fortunate to have his parents there too so that we had someone to help us take pictures.

Here are a few. We thought we waited until late enough so that the sun wouldn't be so bright, but it was still very bright and caused a lot of shadows, so we may just have to go back this weekend.

It was a neat experience, but I am already looking forward to next year when Caleb can walk around and explore on his own.

OK, God, I hear you

Ever feel like God is trying to send you not so subtle messages? Well, this week has definitely been one of those and I feel like it has been a good week for self-reflection.

It all started Sunday after a dinner with the in-laws. I was aggravated with certain things and just needed some girlfriend time. Well, I was texting with one of my best girlfriends and we were joking back and forth about some things to kind of get my mind off things when I had a typical Katie scatter-brained moment.

Sometimes when I am doing one thing but thinking of another I combine the two and end up botching the whole thing. Well this time I was thinking of a particular person because of what my girl friend and I were talking about and thinking about how I needed to thank my in-laws for taking us to dinner and to make a long confusing story short, I sent what my friend and I had been joking about to my mother-in-law whom I meant to send the thank you text to. I hope you're following all this.

Anyway, it was just a big mess. Daniel of course feels I freaked out more than I needed to and just needed to talk to his mom, but if you know me you know I hate ever offending anyone or feeling like I let them down so I couldn't call because I was a sobbing mess.

Well, while it wasn't a gossipy text and it was just what my girlfriend and I had been talking about I soon saw God's message-- I need to learn to confront my problems.

I am notorious for just smiling and nodding and letting people walk all over me because I hate confrontation. Well, I guess God was telling me it's time to put on the proverbial big girl panties and start facing my problems head on. Daniel and I never have any arguments except over this point of contention and the fact that I had yet to speak up for myself to fix, so I think He was also trying to show me you need to get over your insecurities and do it not only for your own sanity but for a better household for all.

So, tomorrow I am going to try and talk to this person and let them know how I feel about the way they treat me and act toward my family, and I know that God will be there to give me strength and also the means of going about it so as to speak in a manner that will not shame Him, instead show His love and forgiveness for all. I know that sounds nuts to talk about when you are going to confront someone, but I know it can be done and I can approach it in a way that will make God shine through me to someone who I do not think is a believer.

I got another tap on the shoulder from God a few days after that when I couldn't find my right hand ring. Daniel and I literally tore our house apart before finally finding it. I had been shooting arrow prayers all day that God just let me find it. It wasn't the money that was fretting me (although that will definitely get you thinking did I really just lose ___ dollars through my carelessness) but it was what the ring stood for. It was my 1 year anniversary gift and Daniel and I really struggled through our first year of marriage and this ring was almost like a new promise ring that we were turning things around, refocusing on God and family and moving forward.

Well, after I found it the hidden message was clear. Get organized Katie. I don't think it was necessarily just my house He was talking about, but maybe life in general. There are a lot of things in my life that are unnecessary clutter-- from junk food to negative/gossipy people to my tendency to put things off. I think this was just His way of showing me I need to clean my act up and focus on what's really important.

I hear ya God, loud and clear. Thanks for the wake-up calls. Here's hoping that next time you don't have to speak so loud, because I promise I think I was borderline breakdown each of those times.

Isn't it funny how if we aren't listening for His quiet voice, sometimes we can get lost in all life's noise?

By the way the random picture was just for graphic appeal.... no real rhyme or reason... but check it out, it was the little guy's first day wearing shoes. :)

10 for 10

So our little newborn, is a newborn no more. Tomorrow he will be ten weeks old. I thought it would take so long to get here, but here it is and it came fast. I think that time has actually flown by even fast since school started 6 weeks ago, so I'm really looking forward to fall and winter break, hoping it'll slow down again and help me enjoy him all day every day.
Anyway, as we get ready to enjoy this 10 week milestone I thought maybe I should look back on my 10 favorite things about motherhood so far. Notice that these are my favorite things, that's because there are far more than 10 things I love about this new stage in life and this precious baby.
1. His smile. I am not just saying this because I am his mom, because others have said it, too, many times, but this is the happiest baby I have ever been around. And with my nannnying and babysitting throughout the years I have been around a lot of babies.

God has definitely blessed us with one goodnatured little tyke.

2. The feedings- I know, most moms would say, "What? The feedings? Are you nuts?" Well, maybe I am nuts but I do love them. It is such a sweet time. It is just us and I sing to him or read to him and while this is probably just my subconscious wishing, I like to think he is getting something out of it and enjoying it as much as I do. I really love the book "Guess How Much I Love You". It reminds me of my mom and me when I was little. I used to always tell her I loved her more and she would tell me she loved me most. It was an unending cycle. I never understood that she really could love me more than I was expressing, but now that I have a child of my own I see how endless this love is.... which brings me to my third fave thing

This is in our little reading corner in his nursery. Duke often joins as you can see

3. The love- It is so cliche because everyone always says you never know how much you can love until you have a child, but it is so true. The love I have for this little guy is so much more than I ever thought possible. It is not only amazing to see how much I love him, but how much my love for Daniel has grown too (which I didn't necessarily think was possible either, but it's like that country song, "I've said that before")

Our little family. So full of love.

4. The love I see that Daniel has for Caleb- Watching these two is such a blessing. Daniel always said he would be a wonderful Dad not because he knows what to do but because he knows what not to do thanks to his own experience with his father. But bad role model or not, this guy has the dad thing down perfectly. Caleb adores his daddy and the feeling is mutual. So Daniel if you're reading this it's not because you know what not to do, because you also know what to do and you do it perfectly!

Such a special bond these two already have.

5. Watching Caleb learn- Of course I am a mom so I think my child is advanced (haha), but in reality to think of all that he has accomplished in 10 short weeks is amazing. My favorite thing as of late is the cooing. I guess he really started letting us here him "talk" a couple of weeks ago and it is the sweetest thing ever. Daniel and I crack up and find ourselves mocking him often, which he enjoys and then continues to carry on the conversation in his own little way. But as I was writing this (literally) he rolled over for the first time. What a little stud!

Tummy time holds all kinds of learning experiences for Caleb.

6. The Duke/Caleb factor- Everyone warned me that my relationship with Duke would not be the same after the baby arrived. I don't necesarily think this is true. I may not have the same amount of time that I did before for Duke, but he still is my shadow and still loves me and the feeling is mutual. However, what I did not expect was for Duke to take to Caleb so easily and naturally. It has been said more than once that if Duke had opposable thumbs we could leave him in charge of Caleb. You have no idea. Duke checks on Caleb at every little sound he makes, and even if Caleb isn't making any noise Duke feels it is his job to check on his "little brother" every now and then. When we moved Caleb from the bassinet in our room to his crib in his room, you would have thought Duke had just lost his life long best friend. He didn't understand why Caleb wasn't in the bassinet and he was torn between sleeping in the nursery or in our room, so he did what was most logical and moved back and forth between rooms for the first few nights until he was assured Caleb would be OK in there by himself.

Seriously he could babysit, I don't think you understand.

7. Bringing me closer to God- Anyone who could ever doubt that there is a god, is not only ignorant, but has clearly never loved a child. Any and everything Caleb does is such a miracle to me. He is a miracle and everything about him is so miraculous that I find myself constantly thanking God for sweet Caleb and asking God to make me a better Christian for Caleb's sake and to bring me closer to Him so that Caleb may grown to love the Lord and be a God serving man.

Our fam after church.. this was about the only picture I could think of to symbolize this :)

8. Learning the small things don't matter- Those of you who know me, know I am a worrier and an anxious mess. Well, meet the new Katie because something about this little guy has brought the greatest calm to me and I rarely find myself stressed about much. I think it is because of Caleb and having to put less important things on the wayside that I have learned this. After a while of not having the perfect house or always having my hair done every day I saw that these things didn't matter and life was still going on fine. These are just a couple of the examples of the big picture, but I do see now that sometimes you just have to forget about things and know that they will get done later.

Horrid hair, clothes that are spit up on, lack of make-up. Who cares when you have such a cute little man!

9. Watching him grow- While I have already had my moments where all I want is for time to slow down so he stops growing, it is so amazing to see how he changes. I can't wait to watch him grow over the years and become the wonderful man I know he will be.

From his first minutes...

to today!

10. Caleb- This is kind of a given, but everything about the little guy is so wonderful to me that there isn't a thing I don't love about him. From his smile to his sweet cry, to the way he nuzzles when he is on your chest but his still thinking he is a big boy and trying to hold his own bottle before dropping it a few seconds later, there isn't a thing about this child that I don't absolutely adore. He has changed my life so much in 10 short weeks. Everyone always says parenthood is a sacrifice, and maybe in someways it is, but there isn't a thing I have sacrificed that I miss and regret having to give up. I can't wait to see what else the future with my little boo boo holds.

Sweet newborn Caleb. He sure has changed a lot since this picture, but I love it so. Thanks for everything sweet boy. Your momma and daddy love you oodles and oodles.

What's all the fuss about?

So I was looking at another mom's blog this morning and her daughter turns 2 today (as far off as that used to seem, as fast as these past 8 weeks have flown by I know it will be here before I know it). Anyway, she had posted about the big day and linked back to past blogs she had written about her little girl. I became inspired. I know I have fallen off the blog band wagon as of late, but I am going to try and be better. With a baby, school and 2 jobs, you have to cut me some slack.
Anyway, if I am going to keep everything for Caleb, I guess the first place to start is the labor and delivery story.
So, let's turn the clock back 1,382 hours and 11 minutes. Yes, that is precisely how long it has been since little coccolo entered the world. And yes, I also realize I am a nerd for calculating that.
Anyway, getting to 12:53 a.m. on July 20, was not the quickest of journeys, however, I wouldn't say it was near as bad as all of the labor horror stories you hear.
I checked into the hospital about a quarter til 7 on Monday morning to be induced. I was induced around 9 and had my water broken around 12 because not much progress was being made. At this point Dr. Alverson told me when I thought I was getting close to any kind of pain to let the nurse know so I could get my epidural ordered because it would take an hour. Well, I thought he was exaggerating just so I wouldn't get to the point of needing it and expect it to be simultaneous that I received the drug.
Well, dude wasn't lying. I think I decided about an hour after I had my water broken that it was time. It took another hour and a half for the anesthesiologist to get up to my room. I probably shot daggers at him when he walked in the room, but in the end the guy was there to give me the goods so I just leaned forward and let him do his magic. Except that wasn't even that easy. Earlier in the morning I had agreed to let a student nurse shadow my nurse. I thought, well no big deal they'll learn and just be monitoring my stats and what not. Nope, wrong. They were there for everything including when the epidural was administered. So as the doctor is inserting the catheter in my back he is explaining step by step what he is doing and all of the possibilities of things going wrong and leaving me paralyzed. Uhm, hello?!?! Who wants to hear this when they have been in labor for 6 hours and are in enough pain without the agony of considering being a paralyzed mother... not this chick that's for sure.
So anyway, after Dr. Dundee (his accent was just like Crocodile Dundee, so at least that added a little entertainment to the talk of a catheter entering my back {note the little}) was finished with his work I was feeling pretty good. It is absolutely absurd how you truly do lose complete control of your lower body. My legs felt about 1,000 lbs each and there was not a thing I could do to will my body to even give me a slight bit of control over them.
Fast forward about another 3 hours and you can cue the nausea. It was awful I was physically sick for the rest of labor until 12:53 a.m. No joke, I was still getting sick as I was pushing. Ok, sorry that is as graphic as I'll get.
Anyway, labor was pretty easy if you ask me. I napped a lot of the day. I watched tv, movies and the Cardinals game. The funny thing is that the Cardinals were losing and the labor was progressing very slowly and Dad and I joked that Caleb was just waiting until the Cardinals started winning to make his appearance, and sure enough as they took the lead my labor started progressing much fast. The Cardinals ended up winning and a few hours after that I was holding my sweet baby for the first time after only an hour of pushing. God is good! Birth has to be the most miraculous event ever. It was crazy when I was holding him and admiring how perfectly he was made the next day to think that just hours before he had been inside of me for 40+ weeks. Anyone who can say humans evolve and that God doesn't exist is just plain stupid. Witness the miracle of birth and surely you will change your mind.
Well this was long enough, but Caleb, one day when you are older I can look at this and remind you that it took nearly 17 hours to get you into this world and out of me, and if that day you are not listening, I'll also remind you that within 17 secs I can take you out. JK Caleb Lawrence, that is just such a typical mom line that I had to say it.
You are the joy of my life and your dad's and no matter what you do you should know that we will always love you and we will always be here for you. Nothing can change that. I love you to the moon and back.

I'M THE SKINNIEST GIRL IN THE WORLD

Okay, so not really, but this is how I have felt for the past 23 glorious days.

That is because on July 20 at 12:53 a.m. our sweet Caleb Lawrence entered the world. Our little man weighed 8 lbs and 9.8 ounces, and honestly was the prettiest baby I've ever seen. I know I am going to be biased because he is mine, but I was fully expecting him to be all alien like. Even some of the nurses throughout the week made comments on how pretty he was. One said she honestly has never told a couple that because newborns are just not pretty and she is not going to lie just to make someone feel better and she thought he was beautiful.

After he came back from the nursery. Loving him so much!

Our first fam pic- sorry Daniel, you're head got a little chopped off

Just hours old, sorry I don't know how to flip itMeeting his grandparents for the first time, since they didn't get to see him the night he was born due to his breathing probs and fever

Anyway, the past 23 days with our little coccolo (italian for pampered, chubby baby) have been heavenly. He honestly, knock on wood, is a great baby. He has maybe cried once for more than a minute or two, but even that was about a 5 minute spell. And better yet, he only wakes up once in the middle of the night, and then early morning but will still go back to sleep so as to let his lazy mama get at least 8-10 hours of good sleep.

We've had a couple of problems but they have all been resolved. Little cocco was immediately taken to the nursery for observation when born because he was having breathing problems and running a fever. Then when we came home he was having latch on problems, but after he dropped a full pound from his birth weight, he was 3 ounces over his birth weight by the next Thursday and at 3 weeks was a full 10 lbs.

Anyway, my hubs just came home for a surprise visit, so this is a good place to leave off and say I'll be back later to finish the rest!

Take a Walk in my Shoes

First of all can we have a moment of celebration, it's JULY!!!!!!!!!! No matter how late, or how early, or if he is exactly on time that means we will not be entering the next month without my baby boy! How wonderful is that.

Nonetheless, it still seems to just be dragging on and on. So, I have been spending the time listening to people's labor self-induction theories. From castor oil to Sonic Chili Cheese Dogs to jump rope, there are definitely some good ones.

While I haven't gotten desperate enough to try any yet, I have continued my walking, because I have always heard that walking will help the labor process and help to naturally move the baby down. (There might be some truth to that since he dropped 2 weeks ago-- fingers crossed it also works for the easing of labor pain as well (: )

Anyway, it has become too hot to walk outside, even on most nights, so I have been walking up at the old basketball coliseum. There are always others walking, or running, or doing the stairs, and because it's summer, there are a lot of different camps in and out every week. Typically cheer, dance or basketball. All of these camps add a little excitement to the walk because they give me something entertaining other than a mundane continuous walking in circles.

However, none of the camps, not even the little bitty kids playing basketball with the balls being 4 times the size of their head could compare to these two men that are at the coliseum every day with me.

Well the other day I turned major creeper and decided I would see if I could get pictures of these two men with my phone without them noticing so that I could share their stories with the blog world.

So without further adieu, may I first introduce you to the world's fastest old man.

This man, while it may be hard to see from this grainy little pic, this man is pushing 80. The outift seen in this picture is his uniform. Seriously orange shirt, grey shorts everyday, it never fails.

Okay, so taking in his age, one would figure, that while it is great that this man is still exercising, he would be slow. Well, as I have learned, this is clearly not the case. This dude either teleports himself throughout the coliseum to mess with my head or he is clearly the world's fast walker. No joke.

This guy will be in front of me at one second and within the next 30 seconds he is gone. No matter how fast I walk to try and see where he went, he is gone. I have walked in and out of the arena to the outer lap, looked all around the stairs and corridors, and I never can find him. My original thought was he knew a short cut and wasn't going the whole outer lap, but no I don't know what happens.

I'll be sitting there wondering what happened to my orange shirted friend and all of the sudden he will be behind me. Lapping me or what, I don't know, but seriously, where did this guy come from?

I have been telling people about him and I don't think anyone gets it, that's while I took the pic. It's my proof that he does exist, haha.

Anyway, I guess the orange shirted speedracer will remain unsolved until I can get someone who isn't 38 weeks preg to walk with me and follow this man, haha.

Anyway, onto my next walkin' pal. The topless Lothario.

This man, I don't even know where to start. This picture does his story no justice. He runs the stairs, which is fine. Pre-Caleb man I too ran the stairs. However, here is what separates dude from me- he strips down to his tight little shorts before beginning his workout. Now, while I don't want to knock him since he is apparently trying to better himself through exercise and I 100% commend that, the man is about 280-300 pounds and has floppy body parts that no one wants to see. I will give him this though, at least he's not hairy. If he were hairy, I'd have to change my walking time because I would not be able to take it.

Anyway, the man seems to think nothing of it, even though at any given time there are10-20 other walkers/runners/ step climbers who are always fully clothed. To make matters worse the dude sweats buckets. It's disturbing.

While it really would make it more comfortable for all if he wore a shirt, you can't help but admire the guys confidence and his perserverance to be there every day to exercise.

So while these two guys baffle me in their own ways, I guess there are admirable qualities to each of them and they entertain me on my otherwise boring walks. So thanks strange men who I walk with. Oh, yeah, and sorry for being a creeper and taking your pics, but they just added that something extra to this blog post.