25 Months

Oh my sweet sweet Caleb. What a month it has been! I never thought life could be so rough, or that we would actually live through being under quarantine for three weeks, and then a week of ice and snow! Yet somehow, we did, and we didn't pull our hair out (even though momma really wanted to a few times)!! You are growing so fast, which I'm pretty sure I say every. single. month. But still, I am just in love with you! You are such a precious honey! Here are some things that I don't want to forget about the past month (some of them I might, but for memories sake, they will be added to the list):

1.) We started off the month with the stomach bug, followed by RSV. Not my ideal way to start off a new year, and you being a big two year old, but nonetheless. I have to add this in along with this first picture because it made me laugh so stinkin' hard. A close friend of ours (you know who you are!) saw this 1st picture of you that I posted on Facebook, and said, "Jill, he looks white! I mean, sorry Aaron, but he does!" You are naturally so dark, because of daddy, and you truly had lost all of your color. My poor baby!!

2.) I love your vocabulary these days. I don't always know what you are saying, but you are learning anywhere from 2-4 new words a day. And, you understand more and more what momma and daddy are saying to you, which means that when you are disobedient, we know you know exactly what you are doing!

You love the rummikub tiles, and like it when I line them up matching numbers and letters. You also love to carry around a stack of them, with which I follow close behind, so we don't actually lose any! Can't forget to mention how much you like band-aids either!!

3.) We have watched more Thomas, Veggie Tales, and Disney Pixar movies in the past month than in your entire lifetime combined to date! Ouch! Maybe that's bad parenting on my part, but being housebound for almost an entire month is a really long time. It especially goes at a snail's pace when you live in a 1000 square foot 2-bedroom apartment! Holy Frijoles, there is only so much you can do in such a confined space! I'm thankful we at least have the videos to watch, and that you like to watch them! And thankfully, you will never remember this month of your life! I just have to get past the guilt aspect of letting you watch that much!

4.) You enjoy stickers, coloring, doing puzzles, playing with your Thomas the Train set, building legos, matching up your Toy Story 3 memory game cards (and carrying them all around the house), reading your Bible, or any other book for that matter, sleeping, cuddling with momma in bed or on the couch, eating and doing play-doh!

5.) You don't like sitting in the drive-thru at the bank, staying stuck at home for almost a month, when mommy says no, when mommy can't understand what you are trying to say, or when you don't get what you want.

6.) We took you and Asher for your well-visit checkups the day before we all got sick. You did FABULOUS, and didn't have to get a single shot (WOO HOO!!!), which made this momma happy since Asher got enough for both of you! You weighed in at 28 1/2 lbs. and were 33 3/4 inches tall! Pretty average on both of those!

7.) You have the BEST BED HEAD EVER!!! Seriously! I can't even begin to describe some of the different ways your hair has come out looking in the morning or after naps! But, out of all of them, I truly think this one is the best! I promise, we didn't do a single thing to make it look this way. Clearly you had a pretty solid nap time!

8.) Ah yes, Monsters Inc., one of your absolute favorite movies! You have learned in the past week how to say "Watch Monsters Inc.!" and it is precious because I truly think I'm the only one that understands you when you say it! A couple other ones I don't want to forget... aw don (all done), appew (apple), Butz (Buzz), Wooee (Woody), Howsee (Horse), Ah-un (Asher - by far my favorite!), Goo (Juice), and Eat! Eat!

9.) The moment we all got better, and before icemageddon and snowpocolapse hit we made it to Pump It Up with Karla, Noah, Haley and Dylan. You absolutely LOVE your friends, all of them, and this was no exception! Dylan had a blast pushing you around in the little car, and you loved it as well!

10.) We decided that once again, you needed a haircut, which I'm thinking might become a monthly event in our house since it grows so fast. You H.A.T.E.D. with such passion having the cut hair all over your body, which you can clearly see in this picture! When all was said and done, you had a super cute haircut and got an extra long bath, just to make sure we got it all off!

We also got out to the park one day, yes, in January! It was in the low 70's and so we packed up and headed out! When I asked you before leaving the house if you wanted to go to the park and swing you looked at me like I was crazy and you didn't know what I was saying. Then we got there, and I don't know that I've seen you that excited in such a long time!! It was FABULOUS!!

We finished off the month over at Dustin & Karla's sharing a meal, cookies, watching Toy Story 2 and a little American Idol (since we don't have TV at our house and they don't stream it online anywhere). I just had to get a picture of all four of you sitting in the little chairs watching the movie together, it was so cute!

And finally, bath time! This was the first time you shared bath time with anyone else and you had a blast! You were eyeing Haley's spin brush toothbrush, and since you needed a new one anyway, we got you a Thomas one that spins, which you ask for often! I'm so glad that you like brushing your teeth, even if it is for all the wrong reasons!

Caleb, this month has been trying, difficult and stretching, yet so fun, full of joy and laughter and TONS of cuddle time! I absolutely LOVE this stage you are in, even with disciplining, as hard and challenging as it is. One of my favorite moments of the day is putting you to bed. I LOVE our bedtime routine, and I know you do too! Reading a Bible story, mommy singing Jesus Loves Me (even if it is a little out of tune), praying together and tucking you and George in together! You truly bring so much joy to this momma's heart! I love you so much honey!!!

Be Blessed and Encouraged!