slide video

Here's a short video of Caleb on the slide at the fun Christmas village we went to while we were in Las Vegas. He loved it!

Thanksgiving in Vegas

We spent Thanksgiving in Vegas with Jason's family this year. It was the very first time Caleb met some of his relatives...including his great-grandparents! Here are some pics from the trip...

month seventeen photos

big guy

Today, Caleb is wearing his shirt that says "big guy" on the back. And while I suppose he really isn't that big, it's amazing how much he has changed in the past couple of months. Here is a little of what he's been up to:

~He has been talking more lately. Still hasn't added a ton of "real" words to his repertoire, but he's certainly experimenting with more and more different sounds. Some words he does now say: mama, dada, baby, owl, bye-bye, ball, eyebrow, and his new favorite: apple. He can also make animal noises for lions, tigers, monkeys, cats, and dogs (his versions of them anyway).

~Reading to him is getting more and more fun. He is interacting more with his books these days. For example, he likes to count objects in books (he points to each one while we count). And he can find and point out the things that we ask him to.

~He's up to seven teeth now and is currently cutting three more!

~He likes to dance, which for him means bending and unbending his knees so that he bops up and down.

~I noticed a few weeks ago that he seems to want to interact with other kids more these days instead of just playing alongside them. This can be good or bad, depending on the particular situation. :-)

~He can be the sweetest little guy ever. The thing that really gets me lately is that he is such a good snuggler (when he wants to be, of course). He snuggles us, he snuggles his stuffed animals (or random ones he finds in stores and play areas), he even snuggles people he barely knows. And he'll rub and pat our backs while he does it. It is adorable. Haven't gotten a good snuggle on camera, but here's a pic of him with his favorite stuffed animal...


~He can also be the most difficult little guy. He's working on mastering the art of temper tantrums and is pretty good at driving his mama crazy. He particularly dislikes being put into his car seat and lets me know that just about every time. His latest method of expressing his disapproval is by throwing his hands over his mouth in utter distress. Kinda like this:


He can be instantaneously delivered from his apparent distress if you say or do the right thing or if he is otherwise distracted. One moment he's screaming the next he's smiling.

~I guess you could describe him as fairly strong-willed. He knows what he wants and tries to do whatever it takes to get it. I can sense that the next couple of years are not going to be a breeze. :-)

~He has a ton of energy and I'm always somewhat perplexed when people describe him as mellow. He's a good kid though and I think maybe that's more what they're referring to. In any case, we feel very blessed to have such a generally happy and healthy little guy. He brings us so much joy and it is lots of fun to watch him grow and develop.

month sixteen photos

our little monkey

Last year for Halloween, Caleb just wore a onesie that said "This is my Halloween costume." But this year I couldn't resist getting him a cute little animal costume...and a monkey seemed like the perfect choice. After all, he loves climbing on things and eating bananas and can even talk like a monkey (well, instead of "ooo ooo ah ah" its usually more like "uh oh", but close enough). Here are a few pics:

one of those days

A few weeks ago, Caleb and I had just returned home from buying his Halloween costume and I was trying to collect everything from the car so we could get inside and have some lunch. Caleb, not unusually, was missing a shoe. I didn't see it on the side of the car I was on so I thought I'd go around to the other side. There was a brief debate in my head over whether I should bother shutting the door to the side I was on...but without too much thought, I went ahead and shut it. Then I walked around to the other side of the car, put my hand on the door handle and pulled...only to find that the door was locked. All of the doors were locked. And the keys? Caleb (who was still inside the car) had those. So there we on the side of the road by our condo complex...Caleb locked in the car, me locked out of it.

To make matters even better, Caleb's favorite button to press on the car keys is, of course, the red one. So there I stood outside the door of the car trying to figure out what to do while listening to him press the panic button...over and over and over and over. His thumb was resting right on the unlock button so for a short while I tried telling him, "Caleb, press THAT button." But no luck there. Eventually he threw the keys...which meant the was no longer any possibility of him unlocking the doors for me. But it also meant the the car would stop its incessant honking that drew the attention of all passersby. So for that I was quite thankful.

Before too long, a locksmith arrived and let me back into my car. (Seriously, what did we do before cell phones?) Fortunately, Caleb had remained fairly happy while trapped inside the car. I kept him laughing by playing peek-a-boo with him through the car window and entertaining him with the monkey costume we'd just bought. So when the locksmith arrived, Caleb just smiled at him.

While filling out the necessary paperwork, I let Caleb play around in the front seat of the car...one of his favorite pastimes. Once the locksmith left, I grabbed Caleb out of the car so we could get him a belated lunch and nap. Well he didn't like that. Nope, he wanted to stay and play in the car. So instead of being glad to get out of the car, he started throwing a little fit. Meanwhile, a firetruck pulled up. The firefighter asked me if Caleb was the one who had been locked in the car and if everything and everyone was okay. A little embarrassed, I replied, "Yes...he was fine until I took him OUT of the car." Sigh. Little stinker. But all's well that ends well, right?

Oh, and Caleb's missing shoe? Laying on the ground outside of the car all along.

trip to the east coast

At the end of September, Jason, Caleb and I packed our bags and headed to the east coast. We had two friends getting married in NY on the same day so that inspired the trip. But I figured since we were making the trek, we might as well go for an extended time and visit my relatives and friends who live in CT and NY. So we flew out on a Friday and stayed for ten days. We did a ton while we were there, but somehow it didn't seem as hectic as my trips to CT have tended to be. I think that was partly because we were there for so long and partly because we stayed in most evenings since we had to get Caleb to bed.

We got to stay with my dear friend Sayward and her family. She has a 7-month-old baby girl named Lahja.


It was wonderful to spend some time with them. We also got to spend a fair amount of time with my relatives on my mom's side of the family.


We went to a party with my relatives on my dad's side as well, but I didn't get many pictures there. It was so great to see so many of my relatives that I get to see so rarely these days.

A trip to CT in the fall would not be complete without a little apple picking!! And since Jason and Caleb had never been, I just couldn't pass up that opportunity!


And finally, the wedding weekend! I got to spend some time with my dear friends from high school...


Jason got to see his buddies that he grew up with in CA (Caleb was DONE at this point in the evening)...


We got to attend a rehearsal dinner for Jason's friend Robert on a boat on Lake George...


And we had a great time at my friend Jodie's amazing wedding...


All in all, it was a wonderful trip!

month fifteen photos

month fourteen photos

Oh so hard to keep up with this blog. Here are some photos at least!

walking man

And now the video you've all been waiting for....

And another quick one of the crazy little man...

This walking stuff is a lot of work...

month thirteen photos

There are a lot this month...

one year photos

Our friend Lesley was kind enough to take some photos of Caleb with her sweet camera the day after his 1st birthday. I just thought I'd share some of the cute pictures she got...

baby talk

So unless you ask Jason who insists that Caleb said his first word when he was about six months old and started saying, "da da", the jury is kinda out on whether or not Caleb has officially said his first word. I lean toward no, but there are a few sounds that he has started to associate with certain things.

His favorite sound by far still remains "da." But his uses for it have become quite versatile. He uses it to say "that" or "what's that?" when he points at things and wants us to tell him what they are...or just wants to show them to us because he's super excited about them. He also says, "da da," for doggie. And "da da" for bye bye. Perhaps I'm beginning to sound a little crazy to you, but I swear it's true. He isn't just randomly saying it...not always at least. He'll point at a dog and say "da da" or wave goodbye and say "da da." And it's different from the other more random times he says it. He does associate da da with Jason now too. The other day Jason was leaving and he said, "da da, da da." In other words, "bye bye, Dada." And maybe I'm imagining it, but I feel like I can tell the difference between a da da used for one thing and a da da used for another...different inflections or something.

Anyway, I'll move on from the da's. He does say a couple of other things. For balloon, he says "bbb." And he just recently started saying "ah ah" for uh oh. Yes I realize that uh oh is more of a sound than a word. And why he can't just say "uh oh" instead of "ah ah", I don't know. But it's cute. Another fun sound that he makes came from us saying "tickle tickle tickle" when tickling him. I still have to get it on video, but he basically says, "tickatickatickaticka," and it sounds just like he's saying "tickle." It's one of my favorite sounds of his.

He's been making a little progress on his signs lately too. He has the eat one down pat...no surprise there. He's still working a bit on "all done"...he can do the sign, but doesn't always associate it with the meaning. He'll do it at random times including in the middle of a meal...and then get upset if I stop feeding him. That's okay...he'll get there. :-)

first steps

About 2 1/2 weeks ago, Caleb took his first steps! He was standing up against the couch and took 2 or 3 steps over to me. My reaction was kinda strange. For some reason it didn't seem like it was for real. I clearly remember when my nephew took his first steps. My sister and her family were out here visiting and I got to see him do it. It seemed like such a special moment. Simple, but sweet and memorable. But when Caleb did it, there wasn't a whole lot of excitement or wonder on my part. Maybe it was because there wasn't someone else there to share in the moment with me. I thought I should at least mention it on the blog though. I mean, it's supposed to be one of those big milestones, right? He still isn't walking, really...just takes a few steps here and there. I don't think he's in much of a hurry though. He gets around rather efficiently without it for now!

caleb's first bike ride

We got a bike trailer for Caleb at the last REI garage sale. Never before used...just two tiny pinholes in the side windows and it was half price! For his first birthday, Caleb got the kit to attach the trailer to a bike from Aunt Carrie, Uncle Mark, and cousin Nathaniel AND he got his very own bike helmet from MorMor and MorFar! So a few weekends ago, we got the trailer all set up and took Caleb on his very first bike ride!

He didn't like it very much. In fact, he seemed to be somewhat freaked out. He had his hands out to the side trying to hold on to the windows of the trailer and kept his head straight forward and tilted slightly down the whole time. I think part of the problem was definitely the helmet, but even without that I don't think he would have had much fun. We took some pictures anyway.


Last weekend we gave it another shot and while not perfect, it was definitely an improvement. He actually turned his head and looked out the sides a bit, and he didn't seem as freaked out. I wouldn't go so far as to say that he enjoyed it, but I think there's hope!

caleb's first hair cut!

I think toddler boys with long blond curly hair are extra cute. So I didn't want to cut Caleb's hair because I was hoping that despite his genes, he would somehow end up with that adorable blond curly hair. Now he has the blond going for him, but curly? Not so much. Actually, it is pin straight. Add to that the unfortunate circumstance that for a while now strangers have been mistaking Caleb for a girl, and what do you get? Caleb's first hair cut.

It was definitely not a professional job. Done by mama in our bathtub. I didn't want to cut it a whole lot...just trim around the edges some. You know, so maybe people would stop thinking he was a girl even when he's totally dressed in boy clothes.

Anyway, here are some before and after shots. The first one cracks me up because it looks like one of those classic "before" shots that make the person look terrible. Of course, I still think he looks really cute. :-)

can you say mama?

Caleb still can't (or perhaps won't is more accurate) say mama. We've heard him say something like it here and there, but the vast majority of the time when asked to say mama, he instead says dada. Kinda like this:

first birthday party

The Saturday after Caleb's birthday, we had a little party for him at our place. We kept it small...just family and a few close friends. We ate some food,


opened presents,

and hung out at the pool.
Nothing fancy, but lots of fun!

first birthday at the zoo

We took Caleb to the Denver Zoo on his first birthday. My parents were here visiting and Jason's parents and sister met us at the zoo as well. When Ali (Jason's sister) showed up, she had a box of cupcakes with her. Knowing that Jason and I were not planning on giving Caleb a cupcake on his birthday because we hadn't given him anything remotely like it yet, she did not even ask before whipping out the mini cupcake she had gotten just for him. As you can see, Caleb was a little uncertain at first...

But we got the "obligatory" frosting-covered face shot...

We then set off to explore the zoo. Caleb was usually more interested in playing with the fences than looking at the animals. Here he is at the bear exhibit contemplating the sign that says, "Do not cross or stand on fence. These animals are dangerous."...

He did enjoy the seal show though. Here he is sitting on Jason's shoulders clapping for the seals...

But his favorite part by far was the indoor rainforest where he got to see the fishies...


I guess next time we'll have to try the aquarium!

mormor and morfar's visit

My parents came out to visit us in July. They planned their trip so that they'd be here for Caleb's first birthday! They arrived on a Saturday and we picked them up at the airport. Caleb had just woken up from a nap and was being mr. shy guy...

...but after a little bit, he warmed up.

We had a wonderful time while they were here. They don't get to see Caleb a whole lot so it was so great to watch them having fun together. During their visit, we took a little trip to Grand Lake, CO.

While there, we hiked to a waterfall,



saw some beautiful wildflowers,

(and not-so-wild flowers)

and, on our last day there, took Caleb on his first ever boat ride!

He was not a big fan of the wind (there was a lot of it) or the water splashing on him. So this is how he ended up...
Oh well...better luck next time. After our boat ride, we grabbed some lunch and headed back to Boulder via Rocky Mountain National Park.


We spent the rest of their visit in and around Boulder. We went to the zoo on Caleb's birthday and had a little party for him the Saturday after his birthday (more on those in future posts). We even got to enjoy an evening at the Boulder Dinner Theater while Caleb hung out with his tia.

The day before they had to leave, we spent a little time at a park by the Boulder Creek.

It was such a special visit. It was so nice for Caleb to get to spend some time with his grandparents. They even taught him how to respond to "How big is Caleb?" by reaching his arms up over his head. He does it randomly now in eager expectation of someone saying, "SO big!" in response. It's pretty cute. We did a webcam with MorMor and MorFar the week after their visit and as soon as Caleb saw them on the computer screen he threw his arms up over his head, grinning. It was adorable. He loves his MorMor and MorFar so much!