Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Caleb: 24 Months


This is month has brought many changes. Caleb is more independent, more rebellious and gives better hugs and kisses than ever.

Seriously, look at this amazing hug!
Who needs pay and benefits?
Oh how I love this little man!
The biggest change by far however, is that this is the first month he has primarily used words to communicate with us. He's been using signs and gestures pretty efficiently until this point, but his favorite word was still "ba" which could mean just about anything. Suddenly though, he is saying at least a new word every day! It's really been an incredible change and we are thrilled to be able to communicate so much more clearly with him.

Here's a sample from this month (because I doubt I can remember them all):  "bug", "fye" (fly), "dow-wah" (door), "teet"(teeth), "bed", "Ad" (his friend's name is Adi and he loooves her), "Doool!" (stool), "Up!", "Poop", "hang-guh" (hanger), "hide", "hum" (home), "bwoom" (broom), "two", "eyes", "hole", "both", and "ice".

Another development in the language department has been his attempts to "read". Caleb has never done much babbling, but recently he's started pointing to letters and naming them! (Usually incorrectly, although he does know the letters "O", "B", "M" and "C"). It's so cute watching him point to each letter in a word saying, "T", "A", "B", "O", "E" and so clearly too! He definitely marches to the beat of his own drum when it comes to language development!

Making alphabet soup...
He also loves to make sound effects! Everything has a sound effect now. He makes them as he goes down each stair, puts food into his mouth or pushes one of his stuffed animal friends down the slide. I know I'm biased, but it's completely adorable : )

A Few Other Adorable Moments from this Month

Something about this made me feel like he is growing up SO fast!

Caleb and his buddies in their baseball caps

Reaching out for a daddy-hug

Wading in a creek for the first time with his friends

The water was frigid, but he loved it!

Soaking wet and enjoying examining all the rocks at the bottom with his friend

Sooo silly!

I honestly can't believe I'm the proud mommy of a two-year old!




Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Caleb's 2nd Birthday Party

The wrapping paper is picked up, the left over food is put away and the exhausted birthday boy is napping in his crib; it must be time for mommy to write about his special day!

I think I'll pass on sharing the play-by-play of squeezing 95% of the party preparations into 2 days. Lets just say, we were not in bed before midnight Monday or Tuesday night. Watching his face light up time after time today made all that work worth it though!

Our diningroom around 11pm last night

High chair and walls decorated, outfit picked out, food prepared and goody bags made...definitely time for bed!


Caleb had a blast running through this over and over laughing! We got it on video : )

Our invitations said we'd be having a splishy-splashy kiddy pool party, so that translated into an under-the-sea theme (at least in my mind!). A pool party had been our plan last year as well, but with an overcast day the barely eeked into the 70's, it became an indoor "make paint foot prints" party instead. Today's weather was in the 90's and sunny so it couldn't have been more perfect.

Caleb and his buddy Christopher get the splashing started!

Miss Adi arrives, fresh from her 9 month check up

And the splashing continues

Can you tell he's having fun?

Finally running out of steam


After we wore the boys out in the pool, we all headed into the house. Braydon arrived from New Jersy, as his family recently moved, but were back in town for the day. The boys started tearing down the streamers and had a blast playing with them. I was amazed they survived as long as they did!





Then it was time to eat. Getting the boys settled into their high chairs with party hats turned into a hysterical photo shoot. We were definitely earning the title "mamarazzi".
Braydon is showing Caleb how to put a hat on

Christopher is not impressed

Braydon is happy to see Caleb get with the program

Caleb is still squirming over it!

Everyone is happy once the adults back away and let babies be babies : )

Finding more uses for the hats

I'm not sure what Mr. Drew is doing off to the left here, but the boys are fascinated!

Time to eat!

Lunch was "fish and bubbles" (Grilled cheese and grapes)
 But really, who cares about lunch when there are cupcakes to be eatten?









After mopping the boys up (I seem to remember Christopher practically taking a bath in our kitchen sink....hehehe) we moved to the livingroom to open presents.

The boys digging into Caleb's present from Miss Adi


Giving her a big thank-you hug

Unwrapping a gift from his buddy Owen who couldn't make it to the party today

He loves touch-and-feel cards! This one asks them to match mommy to baby. So adorable!

Playdough! Please ignore the fact that I'm even more excited than my son about this gift...it's our favorite rainy day activity : )

All the boys came over to help open the gift from Christopher

I love that smile! It seems to say, "Yeah, I wrapped it myself" : D

Playfood for Caleb's kitchen! It was a big hit!

Mom and Dad got him pizza for his oven. He is ready for professional chef school now ; )

 Our little guys were beginning to rub their eyes, ask for milk and get a little teary at this point so everyone picked up and said their goodbyes. We feel so blessed to have such wonderful friends, whether they live near or far. Thanks for being part of Caleb's special day!!!