Caleb's First Christmas

Caleb had a wonderful first Christmas. He looked adorable in his green and white striped bum-flap jammies. The best part for me was watching him play for the first time with his cousin Luke! They had a good time and they shared their toys. Luke gave Caleb his first football! The Christmas tree ornaments were just out of reach, the lights were captivating, and all the cuddling Caleb got from family made him as happy as ever! He LOVED chasing the choo-choo train that Gramps had set up. After going in circles, not being able to catch the train, he finally got so tired that he just laid on his back and stared at the ceiling, his little belly heaving in an out with exhaustion. Ha! It was so fun to have the family together. It was a marvelous Christmas indeed!

The day after Christmas, Caleb was very tuckered out...but he didn't want to admit it. In fact, he was so tired that he fell asleep sitting up. He pulls on the bumper of the crib sometimes, crying for me to pick him up. Eventually, he falls asleep, but this is the first time he slept sitting up. He was all partied out. He took a nice, long post-Christmas nap.

Caleb Chooses Puffs over Police

Caleb is almost figuring out how to feed himself. And if you look closely, you'll see his two front bottom toofs. Very cute! He clearly prefers the taste of cereal puffs over a foam police car...so he's got that going for him.

Hello to Heidi and Luke from Kate and Caleb!

Head bang for his breakfast

Caleb is quite the rocker these days. He does it when he's on his tummy a lot. He bangs his head over and over and wiggles his hands and feet. I think it is his way of saying "C'mon legs, lets get moving!" He does it in his high chair (as you can see) and he does it on the changing table, when he tries to lift himself up and can't quite make it. His legs might not be mobile, but his head is moving all directions.

Can I have a drink of water?

During breakfast the other day, Caleb let me know that he wanted to drink out of my glas...so of course, I let him. He had a ball and we got a kick out of watching his reaction every time he took a sip...or a gulp!

Feeling the Christmas Spirit

Tons of energy and laughs

This is one of my favorite videos--too bad it is dark. At least you can hear Caleb really well. Even though the video is dark, it will leave a bright spot in your day!

Tired Speeches

Caleb has this thing he does when he gets tired...he gives a speech. I don't know how else to describe it. He tucks his chin into his chest (giving him a triple chin because he's so rolly-polly) and then he starts to "da-da-da" with great emphasis, like he is telling me something very important. I've finally been able to catch it on camera. When we stand him up sometimes he'll outstretch his arms, making it look like he's admonishing the masses. Maybe I've given birth to the future President of the United States. Ha,ha,ha!

I've Also Been Tagged

1. Hmmm...tag. The first time I played kiss tag was in 2nd grade and I wouldn't let the boys kiss me...I was kind of a tomboy. TV tag was fun too!
2. I haven't played kiss tag since I was in 2nd grade.
3. Any day that I get to eat a peanut butter and honey sandwich on whole grain bread is going to be a good day.
4. Sometimes after running, I shower with my clothes ON to rinse them out.
5. If I were on a deserted island and could only have one toiletry item, it would be Q-Tips.
6. I like to make jewelry as a hobby and to find my creative chi.
7. I think babies should be babies for 2 years at least...they grow too fast.

Hailey, you're it.

The Fair

We went to the AZ State Fair last weekend!





Cannon got a jumbo corndog and a deep fried Snickers on a stick...yummm!We had a really fun time even though (or because) we didn't ride the rides. I'm leary about a roller coaster that comes out of a 8 x 12 trailer and turns into a 200 foot high ride. I love walking through the 4H booths to see who made the most beautiful cake, painted the most lovely painting, took the most perceptive photograph, sewed the most detailed quilt, and made the most eye catching jewelry. I especially love to see all the bunny rabbits but this year the quancit was full of pigeons and only 4 bunnies. Who collects/breeds pigeons for fun? Gag. I would have been disappointed but Caleb was so excited to see the lights and hear the sounds of the fair that I forgot all about no bunny rabbits this year! We even got to watch some beat up cars do their Figure 8 racing and it was RAD!

Peek-a-boo in the crib!

We had a great time playing peek-a-boo last night with Caleb. It is so much fun and the anticipation and glee that Caleb has when we play is so delightful. I just don't think we could be any happier. The more he watches, the more he learns. He laughs all the time and he is really quick to learn new tricks.

Thunder in his toes!

Caleb Says Da,da,da

Punkin Patch

We went to the Pumpkin Patch today. I forgot my camera but my friend Janelle took a couple pics. We did come home with a baby pumpkin for Caleb! He liked holding it while watching Baby Einstein. We look forward to going again when the weather isn't in the high 90's. HOT!

Cute blanket/bouncer photos

Here are a couple of cute pics I got yesterday while letting Caleb play.

Swimming at G & G Stoddard's

This summer Caleb has been able to swim with Grampa Stoddard. It has been their time to play together and it has been so fun to watch Caleb kick his legs and splash like crazy. He has loved it and isn't scared of the water at all. Grammy always has fun playing and cuddling with Caleb too. I love watching Caleb get to know his wonderful Grammy and Grampa Stoddard.

Kate's Got a Brand New Do!

I wouldn't normally post a picture of myself with no real news...but I have the darndest time sending photos and videos from our Mac to any other computer and I don't know why and I haven't taken the time to figure it out. Sooo...this post is mostly for my little sis, Heidi, so that she can see my new do! Cutting my hair is a big deal--for any of you that know me. I almost never cut my hair...and usually consider trimming my hair a traumatic event. But I was only pulling it back into a pony every day and figured that I might as well lop my locks and try something different. So, voila!

Trip to Idaho

Last year on our trip to Idaho, I came down with a bad case of "car sickness" while we were in Yellowstone Park. We stopped at Mammoth Falls and walked around but the sickness never subsided. I had a pretty good idea that what I was really experiencing was morning sickness...and I was right. A year later, here we were in Idaho, with our bouncing baby boy, Caleb in tow. We had a great time and made some fun memories. We can't wait to go back next year. I should add that when we drove up through Yellowstone this year, I was a little unsure about how I'd feel (morning sickness leaves an indelible mark in a woman's memory)! But we had a blast and we were sad to leave the beauty of farm country, cool weather and gorgeous sunsets.

Long time, no post...we're back!

Since Caleb's birth (Mar 29, 2007) we've been diligently posting pictures on his website but soon enough we'll be using blogspot for all our updates. Here are a few of our more recent pictures. We are truly looking forward to the fall because these 115 degree days make me stir crazy...staying inside all day long, trying to entertain Caleb. I was able to paint my toes the other day--something that makes me feel that all is right with the world. I'd love to say that I hand painted those flowers but alas, they are stickers. Pretty cute, eh? Grandpa Stoddard bought Caleb a bouncer and he isn't quite sure what to do...I hope he figures it out soon because he's only 5 pounds away from exceeding the weight limit in that thing. Ha, ha! He has more tummy time and likes to multitask...try and suck his thumb while sticking his bum in the air and scooting along...so cute.

Ahoy, We're Having A Boy!

The girls threw me a fantastic baby shower last Saturday and we had a blast! Baby Mix is all set with adorable clothes, soft baby blankets and plenty of diapers. We're counting the days until our big guy arrives. He hasn't even been born yet but he is certainly making his presence known with his size! It is a wonder that I haven't tipped over backwards yet! The time is fast approaching for our big tiger to make his entrance and we now have a beautiful crib and car seat waiting and ready for him!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

We had a great Christmas and New Years holiday! 2007 will definitely be an exciting year for us and we are really looking forward to it. We shared a cheesy kiss in front of the fireplace and mom made a post-it note and stuck it on my tummy (it reads 6 1/2 months). We've got a huge tangelo tree (a cross between an orange and a tangerine) and Cannon has made fresh squeezed juice all winter...thus the affection toward the tangelo.