Over the river and headed up North

to the grandmas and grandpas we go... We have checked the weather forecasts several times as last year's experience was not one I plan to repeat (ice and slippery roads, roach motel with a three week old baby, restaurant that closed for good a few days after we ate there...).

Tomorrow seems to be the most advisable time to travel to Iowa, and our families do not live in the northwest portions of the state so we are thinking all is a go. There is one very excited little boy in this house who will be highly disappointed if we are delayed.

Merry Christmas! We can't wait to get to the land of snow and do some SLEDDING!

I take it back...

Caleb just had to make a liar out of me. I wrote the post about him, commenting on his easy-going, lovely disposition. It needs to be amended.

Caleb is easy going when he's comfortable. When he is tired or teething he is very vocal about his displeasure. Jonathan fussed when teething, but NOTHING like this. Caleb has been irritable about his molars and the subsequent tiredness for about three weeks. There are better times: in the morning he is generally content although more clingy. From 3:00-7:00pm he is not nice. One day he cried almost straight for two hours. Not the screaming that he did as a baby, but he was crying/whining continually (even when being held).

I'm posting this because I want to read this in a few years and smile. I also want to see how Caleb's highly expressive personality is going to play out. I'm sure teething hurts him NO MORE than the average babe, but he is darn sure we're all going to know how poorly he feels. And, we're going to suffer with him.

Caleb, I imagine we're not often going to wonder how you're feeling about things. We're just hoping you learn to tone it down a bit.

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

For my oldest, who thinks the very best part about birthdays is the cake, having cupcakes for Jesus' birthday left quite the impression. And, resulted in lots of questions. Good ones.

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Digging in the Dirt

Why buy lots of gifts for the munchkins when they dig contentedly in the dirt for 45 minutes? After the gift opening fun was over and we had enjoyed a pancake breakfast, Jonathan and Jamie headed outside for a little fun. I joined them after Caleb went down for a nap.

"being outside is worth all of the clothes it requires!"

Unwrapping

Saturday morning was our family Christmas celebration and we started with the Christmas story and then we opened gifts...

Jamie did not get the kitchen done. Just a little bit too much time spent working, and then we decided to have fun together on Wednesday in lieu of working on it. So, it will likely be a late January gift. The boys got the food and the shopping cart that was going to go with the kitchen and were very content to "make dinner" with that stuff.

Trains and more trains

Our Wednesday started with a trip to an area train display that was spectacular. There were live plants throughout the display and both boys were delighted with the moving trains and intricate displays.

On the move

Jonathan didn't think that this photo was such a great idea.

Jamie got ahold of the camera... "cheese!"

Our day continued with Vietnamese food, naps for both boys and then dinner at a wood-fired pizza parlor. What a wonderful day!

The Excitement Builds

Aside from the highly unfortunate fact that Jamie has now worked six out of seven Friday nights (the night off since early November was the Friday after Thanksgiving), we have had a rather enjoyable week. Photos from Wednesday are coming, but we had a wonderful family day as Jamie took a spontaneous (and much needed) vacation day just to hang out with us.

Tomorrow we celebrate Christmas with our little family. Can't wait! I'm stealing an idea and putting food coloring in the pancake batter for breakfast. We'll read the Christmas story, open our gifts, relax, eat some take-out for dinner and then gourmet cupcakes for dessert (for Jesus' b'day). The promise of a wonderful day...

Playing Swords

If you had brothers, the title of this blog may be telling enough. I did not. Have brothers, that is. One sister. A truly lovely sister and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

However, I am just not prepared for the boy antics that often occur around here. Last week at preschool I had to volunteer in the classroom (yes, I did say, "had to". I do not relish this time unlike many far superior mothers.). There were some entertaining moments. One such moment: took Jonathan and another lad to the restroom. I carefully watched as the door to the classroom closed since the previous volunteer "opportunity" resulted in me letting the door close on a little boy's finger. As I followed, a couple of seconds behind, I heard Jonathan say, "look, Mommy! Our pee is hitting each other!" There were two little bottoms, at the same miniature urinal, peeing so as to hit one another's pee. After relaying this story to my husband I was informed that this was called, "playing swords." Lovely. (BTW: Jonathan was not taught this by his father. I checked. I guess it just comes as part of the male gene.)

Today we arrived home and Jonathan took off to use one bathroom, and I took off for the other. Caleb plopped in the living room near the toys as I did my business as speedily as possible. Not speedy enough. I hear Jonathan yell, "Mom, Caleb's in the bathroom with me." I fly in there to see Jonathan using the toilet and Caleb sticking his hands in the water/pee. Oh joy!

Boys may present some new learning experiences for me, but at least I don't have to figure out what to do with anyones else's hair. That is a true blessing!

Caleb's Stats

Caleb is perfectly healthy according to the doctor at his one year check-up. He is about 30 inches tall (65%) and 20.5 pounds (20%). Growing and changing into a toddler more everyday.

My Man

is currently outside in the freezing cold temps (we are too far south for the current snowstorm) sanding this beast. Why? Because I read about this idea on a blog.

I happened to mention the blog to my husband... and the rest is history. We're repurposing this thing into a play kitchen for the boys.

We're behind on the kitchen project. I happened to throw out a challenge to my husband that I didn't think he would get the thing done by Christmas (I'll help with the painting... he's in charge of structural elements). That was all it took. He is now OUTSIDE in frigid weather with 40-50mph winds, sanding. It's dark (9:00pm), but I can imagine that the sawdust is like a cloud around his head.
Oh, my James, you are one of a kind.

Sweet Sleep

My love affair with sleep has been confronted head-on by the arrival of Jonathan and Caleb. Jonathan's arrival provided challenges to my nine hour nights of sleep, but Caleb really put a cramp in my sleeping style. It's not that they are terrible sleepers; they just get the occasional illness, teething episode, or cranky night. I should appreciate their usually solid sleeping patterns, but today I am lamenting my state of exhaustion.

Saturday night Jamie and I enjoyed a VERY late evening with a young couple from our church who do not have children. Very late meaning well into the morning hours. After we were finally in bed, Caleb slept fitfully and was up probably five times between two-thirty and six in the morning.

Remember what I mentioned about Caleb being an easy baby? Addendum: easy when not teething. Absolutely exhausting and not all that fun when he's teething. Up nine times in a ten hour period during the night, fussy all day, and a poor eater when he's teething.

Wishing my eyes were closed and my mind in dreamland...

Deck The Halls

Monday was tree decorating night. We made popcorn, had apple cider, listened to Christmas music and decorated the house for Christmas. Caleb got tired very quickly and was ready for bed, so his participation was limited. Jonathan loved it. He sat on the floor with me, looking at all of the ornaments, putting them on the tree... even the star on top (with the help of Daddy).

Viola!

Merry Christmas!

Dedication

Sunday was a meaningful day for more reasons than Caleb's first birthday party. We also had Caleb's dedication at church. His dedication was our commitment to loving Caleb like God first loved us. Teaching him like God teaches us. Extending grace to him in a manner similar to how God gives us grace. We pray and hope in God that Caleb will know the Gospel and will thoughtfully pursue his faith.

Ring around the Rosy

These have to be some of my favorite pictures of the weekend because they tell such a story and so clearly express the personalities of Grandpa Maynard and Grammie (Carol). Jonathan loves to play games, and is always searching for willing participants. Enter: Grammie and Grandpa Maynard. They were both outside with the lad on Sunday while I was preparing lunch. I glanced out to see what they were doing, and I observed this scene:

They are still children at heart, but their mid-late sixty year old knees and hips liked this game better when played on chairs. Thank you to Grammie and Grandpa Maynard for your willingness to engage the desires of a three year old for this simple game.

The Gifts

Grandma Judy made this quilt for Caleb for his birthday :+)

Jake loves to put things around his neck (we had to watch him with ribbons and strings): check out his attempt at a "ribbon necklace".

Caleb getting some gift opening help from big bro and Daddy

This ribbon was an undeniable favorite

Caleb has been trained in the art of "playing cars" by a master on the topic: Jonathan

Consumption

The cake looked wonderful. Caleb affirmed that it tasted wonderful, too. He didn't think twice about diving into the cake. We didn't think twice about having him dive immediately into the bath following this adventure.

One Year

To commemorate the day and hour of his birth (today, 4am) Caleb decided to be awake and screaming like he was last year at this time. I've long since given up the intense problem-solving techniques I employed when Jonathan cried in the middle of the night. They can't talk, so to give extended effort to determining the cause is most often futile effort. I just rocked my babe for a bit, gave him some loving, and put him back in his bed, asleep. He rarely wakes up crying, so I saw it as a chance to love on him a bit since he usually doesn't like to snuggle and a chance to remember last year.

Caleb has been a man of his own since he arrived December 1, 2008 at 4:38am. He has loved to eat from Day One. He screamed and screamed much of the first two months and it would take us two hours in the evening to settle him down for the night of sleep. You would never know that he was a difficult baby by the way he now laughs and smiles. He has always loved to watch Jonathan play, and now readily imitates much of the play.

At one, Caleb is:

~ Still a great eater.

~ Happy and easily entertained. The munchkin may have been a screamer and very challenging as a little babe, but he is now a very easy baby.

~ Very easy unless he is overly tired. Then, he screams.

~ Smiley.

~ Engaged by his brother's play. He just loves to play with and watch his brother. He shrieks with delight and irritation as they play.

~ Walking about ten steps on his own at various points in the day, but often prefers the more stable mode of transportation: crawling.

~ Stubborn about wanting to use his own fork. He likes to stab the food and definitely likes to play with the food.

~ Not much of a napper. About an hour to an hour and a half daily.

~My little sweetie pie. He might not love to snuggle, but he gives kisses and love in other ways.

Happy Birthday little one!

Turning One

Caleb turns one on Tuesday. What a delightful year with "smiley guy"! We celebrated this morning with our family that was able to be here. I'll post more later, but here is a "sneak peek" of the cake that Jamie made:He had less time to get this one done, but it was wonderful, as usual.

Wrestling

Nate and Carla slept on air mattresses in the living room, so there was great fun to be had on the mattresses before they were put away each morning.

Thanksgiving and Vacuum

My parents and Nate, Carla, and Jacob came for Thanksgiving this year. The boys had a delightful time playing and eating together.

We had real turkey, but we also made this fruit turkey. It was interesting. Jonathan enjoyed making it, but I don't know that we would do it again.

The crew, minus Jonathan, who was hiding behind Grandpa.

Jonathan loves to vacuum. I'm encouraging this affinity. Here he is, helping with the cleaning before the guests arrived.

Uncle Marc

Jamie's brother had a work trip that took him through our area, so he decided to come a little early and visit us for a bit. We were thrilled! We enjoyed seeing him, and the boys were delighted to play with him.

Marc is a musician. A very good one. He was teaching Jonathan a few of the tricks of the guitar trade.

The Mullet Bids Farewell

Caleb had a mullet: minimal hair on top and a decent amount around his ears and his collar. Today was the day the mullet bid farewell. We've mentioned before about our affinity for the local barbershop, and today all three boys got haircuts. True to Sarah-form I neglected to bring the camera to capture this special moment so a nice gentleman took this image on his phone. It is quite blurry, but better than nothing. Nothing is what we have to remember Jonathan's first, second, third... haircuts. I didn't even think to bring the camera until his seventh or eighth one. Caleb, consider yourself lucky :+).
He did very well and seemed to love the barbershop as much as Jonathan. Many thanks to Kari for another fabulous little kid cut!

Tackle in the Pillows!

One of the Guild family favorites has emerged, once again. Winter seems to bring out the restlessness in all of us, so we bring out the "tackle in the pillows!" game. The game requires a high level of supervision, as Caleb is still a bit small for full participation status. However, this does not deter him from shrieks of glee and endless laughter while playing.

If I close my eyes...

you can't see me! Jonathan was jumping on the chair in the living room after lunch. This is a no go in this house, so I asked him to cease jumping. He closed his eyes, and kept jumping.

He was sent to time out for disobedience, to which he replied, "But, I closed my eyes so you wouldn't see me jumping!" Hmmm... multiple problems with that logic but funny to see the mind of a three year at work.

Blast Back to Halloween

Halloween is two weeks past, but I found these photos on the camera when I was downloading some others. Jonathan did manage to put on his costume to visit a couple of houses next door. He insisted on wearing his brightly colored pajama pants and orange boots with the coat, but at least he wore the coat for a few minutes.Caleb, on the other hand... much more agreeable about the costume. However, by the time 6:30 rolled around for trick or treating he was very tired as a result of poor napping (kind of the norm around here) so he wasn't all that chipper for the event. Cute, just not chipper.

He has started scrunching up his nose.

Just love his blue eyes. :+)