New quirks. Caleb is getting really good at using his teeth to bite "whole" food rather than me tearing it up into bites for him. I usually give him half a banana, a slice of cheese or a piece of bread and he does a reasonably good job of not choking himself : ) However,should I dare to try and break something apart in his presence...tears!
Just how important being able to take his own bites is to him came home to me just as we were about to leave the house for our family walk. I'd broken off half a banana to snack on and Caleb, of course, wanted some. When I broke off a piece to give him, he collapsed dramatically to the floor screaming and crying. I looked at David in bewilderment, who translated our toddler's cries: "Doooon't break it mommy! You ruin it!!!" Haha, poor guy. He got over it and we went for our walk, but wow, what a toddler moment!
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| Caleb chowing down on his apple slices. No more bite-sized pieces for this big boy! |
Speaking of new quirks...Caleb has suddenly developed a major aversion to having his toenails clipped. Merely uttering the words "Mommy needs to trim your toe nails" turns him into a weepy, squirmy mess. Trying to actually accomplish the task was akin to wrestling a bear. After 3-4 weeks of this, I broke out my secret weapon for the first time...Finding Nemo. After 2 minutes, Caleb's gaze was fixed and his jaw was beginning to go slack so I scooped him into my lap and was able to complete the task in about 10 minutes. He still wasn't a fan, but it was much less traumatic for both of us. TV definitely has it's uses! Hopefully pairing it with something he likes will help him relax about it. He lets me clip his finger nails even without Elmo's help these days, so I'm hopeful!
Special Outtings. Even though Caleb slept through all the drama the weekend I went to the ER, we decided to celebrate family life being back to normal by taking him to PetSmart (aka: the free domesticated animal zoo). It was an extra special day because all 6 shelter cats were out of their cages getting some "free play" time with the volunteer. She welcomed us back and Caleb got to interact with all the kitties.
He had a blast petting them and throwing the little rubber ball for them to chase. We had to be careful he didn't get his hand in between a playful cat and their toy, but otherwise he did wonderfully. My mommy heart swelled with a little pride when the volunteer complimented us over and over on how gentle he was with the cats and how we were welcome back anytime to play with them. I felt bad not taking one home, but she assured us it's wonderful for them to be socialized with little ones so when an adoptive family does come, the cats are ready.
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| After David went back to work, Caleb got to spend quite a bit of time doing this while I recovered from the ER trip. Thanks Tews for our one-of-a-kind DVD. Caleb loves being read to and mommy loves the break! |
More advanced language and comprehension skills lead to conversations like this one:
David and I are trying to ease Caleb into the bedtime routine:
David: "Caleb would you like daddy to read you a book?"
Caleb: "Uh-Uh."
Sarah: "Would you like mommy to read you a book?"
Caleb: "Uh-uh."
Parents exchange "oh, it's gonna be one of those nights" glances
Sarah (trying to break the tension): "Caleb, do you want a pony?"
Caleb: "Yeah..." in his sweet toddler voice
There you have it.
Mini Milestones
Begins sleeping with a stuffie. Mr. Turtle is not to be left out of the bedtime routine anymore.
Draws his first circle! Oh the excitement that comes from being able to draw your own "BALL!" "BAAAALLL!"
Peed in the potty for the first time on Easter. No repeat performances thus far : )
Tried to sign "I love you" back to daddy at bed time. Every bit as heart-melting as you imagine...
Can climb the ladder to the slide.
Can undress himself almost completely independently before bath.
First introduction to chocolate in the form of warm chocolate chip cookie. Wish I had gotten photos of the gooey mess!
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