May 31

Today, Caleb experienced two extremes of human behavior:

the Renaissance Faire

and Cardinals baseball

We started the day at the Greater St. Louis Renaissance Faire with our fantastic friends the Del Gaisos. (They're our go-to companions for any nerdy fun because Amber's always up for something goofy and Chris jumps at the chance to catch silly things on film.) One of Chris' co-workers gave us free tickets to the Faire, so we didn't have to pay the steep admission price.

One word: wow.

Some people are really serious about this stuff. It was pretty funny.

As we were leaving, we ran into one of my former students and her pet snake.

How could I pass up an opportunity to introduce Caleb to a red boa constrictor?

I couldn't.

Caleb was pretty interested in it!

After a short nap at home (for Caleb, not us), we headed out to Caleb's second Cardinals game.

And there, my friends, we met Fredbird.

We're kind of a big deal.

Since I've known him, it's been one of Chris' life goals to be beaked by Fredbird.

Today, it happened.

And, it also happened to Caleb. Wow.

Caleb was really into the game, despite the rain delay.

After such a busy weekend, he's sound asleep, and we're exhausted.

Chris said he feels like we took a vacation this weekend, and I agree. What fun we had!

May 30

Things I love:

Summer.

Sunshine.

 Three-day weekends.

The pool.

Wineries.

My boys.

Check, check, check, check, check, check.

After church, we visited Chandler Hill Winery.

Caleb ate an ice cube, and loved it.

Our patio spread. Can you guess what belongs to Caleb and what belongs to us?

We took a break from the patio to chill inside. Caleb was a fan of both the air conditioning and the sweet leather couches.

(Can you see his adorable teeth?)

Then Caleb had a suggestion: let's go back home and go to the pool!

We were happy to oblige.

Ryan joined us at the pool, which was awesome.

I know this photo is blurry, but it's so stinking cute that I couldn't resist.

Caleb's float? Best purchase ever.

He was happy as a clam floating around in that thing, and we didn't have to worry about keeping him from drinking the pool water.

It was a good day.

May 29

Hey!

What are you doing?

Because we're at the pool. Want to come join us?

We'll be here all summer!

Our neighborhood pool has this awesome thing for babies - it's like a jumperoo in the water.

Caleb loved it. I tried to take him out, and he cried and screamed until I put him back in. (In case you didn't know, that is NOT how my child normally behaves. He must REALLY like this thing.)

So. You want to come swimming with us?

We're waiting!

May 28

Today? Best day I can remember.

Really, most of the day is kind of a blur, until about 5:30 when everything slows down and I can replay it in my memory in high-definition.

It was really nothing special - just a trip to the park.

But it was curious and sunshiny and giggly and leafy and perfect perfect perfect.

This is what joy looks like.

So. Much. Fun.

heart.

(feeling tree bark for the first time. It's a strange sensation, if you think about it.)

I wish every day was like this.

And? It's a three-day weekend.

May 27

I feel like I'm using the word "busy" a lot lately.

Yesterday was Chris' dad's birthday, so today Chris, Caleb and I joined him for a celebratory lunch. It was a lot of fun, and Caleb clearly adores his Grandad.

These Rife men? Seriously good looking.

Later, I decided it was finally time and made the phone call I've been dreading for a while:

I scheduled Caleb's first haircut.

Surprisingly, they were able to get us in today, and a fantastic girl named Liu did the honors.

This is our "before" picture.

Caleb was neither happy nor sad. He just sat there and observed all of the commotion. At least 4 different hairstylists commented on how well he did. I was pretty proud.

I brought my mom along for moral support (I was expecting a horrifying debacle), and she shot this photo of Caleb staring intently at me. Love it.

Here's the end result:

At first, something about it reminded me of Jim Carey's character (Harry?) in Dumb and Dumber.

But once I got it wet and spike-ified at bathtime, it looked just right.

So now we should be back to our darling, crazy-haired baby, instead of that stringy-banged child of a few days ago. I'm so proud of my bravery. Oh, and of Caleb's bravery, too.

May 26

I honestly don't know how our days get so full. We really don't have that much to do, but somehow we always end up with adventures.

Today was another fun day, in which Caleb got to play with pretty girls, a friendly dog, and curtains. In other words, it was Caleb's perfect day.

We started our morning with a visit with Amber and her adorable kiddos. I think Caleb felt like the coolest thing ever swinging with the big girls.

See? He's totally pumped.

This is why he's so excited. Look how high Catherine can swing!

And Catherine and Mary are both so pretty!

Later, we stopped by my parents' house to visit. Willie the dog couldn't get enough of Caleb!

Caleb, however, wasn't sure what he thought of the dog. Perhaps he's of my school of thought: dogs are great in theory, but not so great in reality.

When Daddy came home from work, Caleb got to partake in one of his favorite activities - playing in the curtains. Seriously. He loves it.

May 25

So lately, every day brings something new and cute:

Waving to everyone (and everything, including the ceiling fan, which he LOVES)

Answering the phone

Words (Ball, book, oh, dat = cat, flower, hat, daddy, and his current favorite - wow)

Pressing the button to start his ball-popper

Chasing the cat

Waving at the cat

Hissing at the cat

And now?

He throws his arms up in the air when we ask, "How big is Caleb?"

And apparently, he's already too cool/bored with it.

Adolescence is going to be a doozy.

May 24

Caleb's new trick?

He answers the phone!

If his toy phone rings, or if I hand him my phone and tell him to answer it, he puts the phone to his ear and says, "Oh?" (It's his attempt at "Hello?") We haven't taken this trick live yet; so far he's only answered imaginary phone calls. I think we need to practice a little more so he doesn't get nervous and freeze up on a real call.

I may be biased, but it is clearly the cutest thing ever.

Photographic evidence follows:

"Oh?"

I think this one may be Caleb pretending to send a text message, because that's how I hold my phone when I text.

And, as always, he can never resist an opportunity to chew on my phone.

May 23

Finally.

We're home.

Caleb slept like a champ in the hotel pack n play last night, but somehow that wasn't enough.

It was a ROUGH drive home, involving tears and whining, plus some complaining from Caleb.

But we're home.

The only photos for today are from a rest stop outside of Springfield.

Caleb really enjoyed watching all of the big trucks.

He waved at a lot of them,

 but usually not until after the trucks had passed. Oh well.

I think he was glad to be on his way home.

May 22

I think you guys might have stopped praying around 3 am.

That's when Caleb woke up and decided he no longer wanted to sleep in the pack n play. Since the Ferber method isn't the best choice for hotel rooms, he joined us in bed for the remainder of the night, during which he nursed at least 4 times.

I might have been a touch cranky today.

The kid, meanwhile, chose to again skip his afternoon nap. He's currently asleep in the pack n play, but I won't be foolish enough to stay up late tonight. As soon as this is done, I'm in bed, yo.

We had a busy, people-filled day. First, Caleb got to meet all of the friendly people eating breakfast at the hotel. Then, he went swimming. When he woke up from his nap, he got to see Amber and her new baby, Michael!

Unfortunately, Michael is so new that he only wanted to sleep and eat. Maybe the boys will get to play in a few months.

Then, Caleb got to play with his Great-Grandma again. Since they're now old pals, he was comfortable enough to try out her glasses.

Great Grandma is super cool!

Then, Caleb met Shawn and his family. Something tells me that they might be responsible for the afternoon nap-skipping - they're highly entertaining and a little bit high-energy.

Kailee and Aliyah are almost 4,

and Shawn Jr. is 2.

They're preparing to welcome a new baby to the family in a few months, so they were really excited to play with baby Caleb.

Maybe they were a little too excited - Caleb didn't get a moment alone the rest of the day. He was too busy being loved (at great volume and in close proximity) by 3 darling children.

And now we are all exhausted.

May 21

Will you forgive me if I take a moment to brag about my baby?

Best. Baby. Ever.

He handled the 8-hour car trip (it takes a bit longer than it used to, now that we have a baby!) with grace. He slept the first hour and a half, which was great, but then decided not to sleep for the rest of the ride.

But you know what? It was fine!

He didn't let the lack of sleep get to him; he was still cheerful and pleasant.

We met up with Chris' family for dinner, and I'm pretty sure Caleb charmed their socks off. They were tickled by the way he scoots around.

We went out to a restaurant for dinner at 7, which is when we normally start Caleb's bedtime routine. Did he mind? Not at all! He was a champ!

8:00 (bedtime) came and went. Did Caleb fuss? NO! He only got cuter!

Now, he is sleeping in a pack n' play (which never happens) in the living room of our absolutely perfect hotel room.

My baby? He rocks.

Now that you've read through all of the bragging, I will reward you with some pictures.

We stopped halfway through the drive so Caleb could play. Since there were two parents present, I got to swing with my little man! It was so much fun! (He's waving at you in this photo!)

Caleb's Great-Grandma loved him right away. (This is Chris' mom's mom. I think she's 92?)

Uncle Bill is GREAT Uncle Bill because of Caleb. He may not have much baby experience, but Caleb sure enjoyed him!

 (Doesn't he look like a natural with Caleb?)

I love how happy Grandma looks! (Caleb wasn't quite sure about the whole situation, but he warmed up quickly.) It's too bad Chris' mom couldn't be here.

Now. Let's pray this child sleeps through the night and makes up for all of the sleep he missed today!

May 20

The shirt may say "smile", but there was not a lot of smiling going on around here this afternoon.

Between several disrupted naps and his two lovely new teeth, Caleb was not a happy camper.

Poor kid.

Poor Mommy.

We head to Tulsa tomorrow to visit friends and family. Pray that we all handle the car ride well?

May 19

Today, I felt a sharp little ridge (or two) in Caleb's mouth.

That would explain this:

and this

But the only thing that explains this

is this.

(It's my friend Jessica's blog, in which she beautifully describes a recent trip to New Zealand. I was so caught up in her adventures that it took me a little too long to notice that Caleb had found the cat food. He definitely had a mouthful there.)

(and yes, my priorities were

1. take photo

2. retrieve cat food from baby's mouth)

May 18

The sun shined today!

It was amazing.

We spent quite a bit of time outside today. After we had lunch with Sara, Cooper, and Cooper's Aunt Mary, Grandma met us at the park for some swinging and nose-biting. Later, Caleb got to play on the patio while I worked on my veggie garden. (So far, our yield has been 2 strawberries that I overlooked until they were overripe and inedible, and a little tomato bud a-growing. Fun!)

And this?

This, my friends, is why I'm so excited to be growing food in my back yard.

Caleb was really interested in the basil.

Got some!

Oops! Dropped it!

Yum! Fresh basil!

It makes my heart feel all warm and fuzzy and happy inside to know that my child will grow up knowing what fresh basil tastes like and where it comes from.

I delight in the fact that as I weeded the garden, Caleb wanted desperately to dig in the dirt with me. He wasn't happy until I got out his little plastic tools. Though he lacks the motor skills to effectively use the tools, he tried so hard to mimic what I was doing.

I brim with pride when Caleb kicks his feet in excitement at the word "outside", or giggles with joy when the wind blows on his face.

And mostly, it makes me feel so satisfied when we go out to the glider on the patio in the morning and Caleb leans into me and we rock, listening to the birds chirp and the wind blow.

And he doesn't wiggle.

He doesn't squirm.

He's content to rest against me and listen.

That's when I know I might be doing something right.

May 17

Today, we laughed,

we cried,

we played peek-a-boo.

It was a good day.

(You wouldn't know he's not feeling well, huh? The only giveaway is the disposable diaper. Things are a little... messy.... right now, so he's in fake diapers until he's feeling better. I'm so thankful our baby is cheerful, even when he doesn't feel well!)