My Heart is Breaking...

...For my friend Jess and her husband Joel in the loss of their precious baby Cora. May God wrap His arms around them!

Talking "Sheep"

Because Saturday was such a beautiful day, we ventured out to the zoo (along with 1/2 of Wichita). Caleb took the opportunity to practice talking to the sheep. :)

Sea Legs

Sorry it's sideways...but we finally caught Caleb walking on tape! The way he walks reminds me of a sailor with sea legs! :)

Birthday Fun

Happy birthday boy!

Caleb loved all of his presents!


Excited (at first) for the cake...but then not so crazy about it.

The "Very Hungry Caterpillar" cake that Kevin and I worked so hard on

Caleb didn't finish off his cake, so Uncle Chris thought he would enjoy it! :)

Caleb had a great birthday, celebrating with lots of family! We went to church on Sunday, out to lunch, and then came home to put him down for a nap. Of course, on the day that I needed him to he didn't want to go to sleep. He talked to himself in his bed for 1 1/2 hours before finally falling asleep. He only got to sleep for less than an hour before we had to get him up for his party. We had both of our families over for pizza, cake, and presents. :) Caleb wasn't too interested in his cake...I think he was still tired and his teeth were bothering him. Oh well...I'm sure he'll like his cake more next year!

Since the party extravaganza, he was sick AGAIN with a high-fever (which we eventually determined was a sinus infection). He had blood drawn 4 times last week, 3 shots of antibiotics, a throat swab, and a nose swab. I'm thinking he's not going to want to visit Papa and work anymore! :) Last Thursday he started feeling better and has been doing great ever since.

It is amazing how much his vocabulary has increased in the last week or two. I told Kevin last week that I felt like he was learning a new word everyday. His favorite things to say now are "hot" (which he says in a whisper while dipping his chin to his chest), "peas" (please..again in a whisper), and bottle (which he says with amazing clarity). This one breaks my heart because we are trying to get him to drink out of a sippy cup. This morning when he got up and I was giving him breakfast, he just kept saying "bottle, bottle". I am hoping that by doing it now it will be an easier transition than when he is older and even more attached to it. When you ask him what a sheep says, he'll say "baa" and a cow says"boo" (he has a hard time with the /m/ sound). Also, he says "blue" but thinks that everything is blue. We're working on other colors. :) He's taking several steps, but it is on his timetable. He is still much more comfortable crawling. When he does try to walk, he doesn't really wait to get his balance, he just takes off.

Sorry to bore you with my baby's milestones...this info is more for my benefit later down the road than anything. :)

On a more somber note, please be praying for a precious little girl named Cora. I worked with Jess (Cora's mom) at Eddie Bauer Home in college and through her got to know another dear friend who made my days at WSU so very enjoyable. Cora is 10 months old and was just diagnosed with cancer. She recently underwent surgery and will be starting chemotherapy in the next week. Please pray for her parents and that God will heal this precious little girl!

Happy Birthday!

One-year old…how can it be?
Time swept past like a shooting star.
My baby boy is growing up,
Twelve months just seemed so far.

Your precious smile brightens my day,
Cuddles and kisses mark the night.
With your sweet little voice saying “Peas”
And your occasional strong-willed fight.

Your laugh brings joy to the day
Like golden rays of sun.
Your wobbly steps are still very few
Because crawling is much too fun!

The strawberry locks on your head
Frame your angelic face.
Your blue eyes twinkle oh so bright
Freezing time and space.

You love to talk and ramble on
You have so much to say
You get so excited to take a bath
This age I wish you could stay.

Your daddy and I love you so much
This stage we will surely miss
Even when you’ve grown taller than me
I will be here with a hug & a kiss!

I ask that God would equip us
To raise you strong and true
With a name that means “faithful & bold”
I know it is fitting for you.

As you grow, just remember this
Love God, be a servant to all.
Far after your grown and on your own
To my knees I will continue to fall.

"Walk Alone"

As Caleb is taking some steps by himself, I have been cherishing these "wobbly" memories. I have also been scouring books as I prepare myself to parent a "toddler" (it makes me sad just to type that word). I came across this beautiful metaphorical illustration of how a mother teaches her child to "walk alone."

"The loving mother teaches her child to walk alone. She is far enough from him so that she cannot actually support him, but she holds out her arms to him. She imitates his movements and if he totters, she swiftly bends as if to seize him, so that the child might believe he is not walking alone...And yet, she does more. Her face beckons like a reward, an encouragement. Thus, the child walks alone with his eyes fixed on his mother's face, not on the difficulties in his way. He supports himself by the arms that do not hold him, and constantly strives towards the refuge in his mother's embrace, little suspecting that in the very same moment that he is emphasizing his need of her, he is proving that he can do without her, because he is walking alone." -Soren Kierkegaard (from the book: Raising Faithful Kids in a Fast-Paced World by Dr. Paul Faulkner)

The best piece of advice I received from my recent readings is that no amount of advice or number of books replaces prayer in the process of raising a child. How often I forget that and think..."if I just read enough books, then I will know exactly how to raise him." I best be getting on my knees even more to ensure that Kevin and I bring our precious boy to the feet of Jesus while he is on loan to us from our Heavenly Father. And through unending prayer, my hope is that God will allow our family circle to be unbroken when we meet in Heaven someday.

A Very Merry Christmas and a Not-So Happy New Year

Caleb had a wonderful first Christmas. He was definitely spoiled by both our families and seemed to enjoy tearing into the wrapping paper. Here is a picture of him on Christmas morning. Santa brought him the Bee-Bop Band set as well as some books. I also made him a busy book that I sewed this fall and that was his gift from us.

And our family on Christmas Day with Caleb giving me a kiss on the cheek...

The past few days haven't been too fun. Caleb got sick on Sunday with a stomach bug and STILL has it (we just went into the office today for a Roto Virus test--they told us that sometimes a stomach virus can last up to a week and a half in babies). Kevin got the 24-hour stomach flu on Tuesday and numerous other members of my extended family also have had it over the past few days. Caleb was sick a total of two times in his first 10 months of life (both with just a common cold) and in the last month, he has had a stomach bug twice! We are hoping for a healthier next couple of months as we start out the new year!