Caleb Carter is growing!

It's been a while. I know i promised i'd write more often but sometimes it's just too hard. And just to add more to our plate, Caleb developed an ear and throat infection last weekend as well as some hefty fevers for 3 days. I'll spare you the details, mostly because it was traumatizing for me to go through that. I will say that i've never in my life have met a braver, stronger, more resilient person in my life than my son. I don't know what i would've done with that kind of fever all weekend. He played and ate his food, and was more or less normal with some discomfort. Luckily the infections were just starting out and so there was no real pain but it was bad enough for mommy. Now he's on antibiotics - AGAIN! This one is stronger and it's actually also gotten rid of his slight congestion. He's doing great, though. Almost cured, which means he's as active, if not more, than usual. His activeness also means that while we hoped that as he got older he would sleep through the night, it's actually causing him to wake up more often because he can't sit still. We're exhausted :) Here are the things he's up to:

Trying to go from a laying position to a sitting one
rolling over like a mad man
once on his belly he moves backwards by kicking his legs very quickly
while sitting he scoots on his butt
while sitting he grabs on to me and tries to pull himself up
while sitting on his changing table he uses the railings to pull up onto his knees
bounces a lot
while sitting on the floor with one of us he uses his chair and pulls himself up to a standing position (almost fully).
while in his playpen he fall over a lot and then whines cuz he wants us to help him
He chews on everything
he grabs everything
he turns to see where everything is and where noises are coming from.
He's teething. Really teething. No. REALLY TEETHING! I think that had to do with all the infections and fevers. You can almost feel a break in the gums.
He's also practicing drinking from a sippy cup.
He says papapapapap babababababa papapapapapap papapapapappapap (he'll probably say Papa first - i can't win :()

I think there's more but this list is long enough. No wonder he can't sleep at night. He's very busy these days.

In terms of not getting a lot of sleep, it's really amazing that we're still standing. We still get to work on time and i can only speak for myself, although, somewhere deep inside i think Ernest also feels the same, you get to work and you feel a relief. Like you're having an incredible break, almost. But it never feels right because we miss him and think about him all day.

I guess now we're preparing for the next steps; crawling (if he ever decided he's going to), teeth, and walking. When he was a baby i use to hope and pray that he would grow up and be able to do all of the things he's doing now so that it would be easier on me. How selfish of me. Now i'd like him to stop and go back so that i can have a chance to enjoy him being a baby. I missed so much.

But this is not a sad post. This is one to show you how Caleb's growing and thriving and teaching us something new everyday. Enjoy the pictures.

Nice Weekend Indeed!

Before we start i want to let you guys know that Caleb had his first home-cooked meal. We boiled veggies and a piece of chicken breast. Let it cool. Blended and served. I can't tell if he liked it. He ate it. But let's be honest. Caleb is his father's son and those boys can EAT! Well you be the judge. Also, it was a really nice weekend. Saturday was the long awaited Bat Mitzvah of my boss' daugther. A little girl i babysat on and off from the time she was 6 months. She turned 13 on April 1st and had her Bat Mitzvah on Saturday. What a beautiful girl she turned into. NOt that i'm surprised at all. She's always been respectful, compassionate, independent, kind, extremely smart, and all of those wonderful things you hope your own child will possess. It was also a hectic day. Ernest had to work, as usual, which meant i needed to leave Caleb upstairs at my mother's in the morning so that i could head to the service in the city. Heels and a dress at 8:30 in the morning. NO FUN! It was a beautiful service and it was such a proud moment to watch Sophie up there being such a young woman. As soon as the service was over i had to rush back home because my mother had to work for a few hours. Got back. My mother left. Caleb and i ran errands in the neighborhood for a couple of hours. Luckily he slept the whole time till we got back. My mother arrived back home around 5:30. I quickly got dressed again and headed back to the city for the big Bat Mitzvah party. So fun. Friends, drinks, and dancing. MY FAVORITE! We had a great time. Sunday was more relaxed. We were home for most of the day then in the evening headed out to get diapers, wipes, and other baby things Caleb needed. Ok, so i'm gonna say it. I'm really looking forward to a day when i can stay home all day. Just me. I think i need it. I probably would go crazy and not know what to do with myself but i'm willing to find out. I feel i need to recharge my batteries. Regroup. Restart. Just rest! Ok, i said it. I feel better. AFter we got back from shopping Caleb spent some time with his papi. The pics i'm posting are from before we went shopping and after. Enjoy!

Oh, mom. Stop worrying!

CORRECTION! Because mom's are crazy and when something worries us we tend to not look past it, instead we obsess over it i made a mistake. When i put in the head circumference it was in centimeters (47). I was suppose to convert it to inches. Caleb is perfect. In the 50-75 percentile. Just perfect.



I did a little torturing of myself today. Because isn't that what moms do? We over-think everything and we believe everything we read. I went onto babycenter.com and into the growth Calculator. "I just want to see how Caleb's developing, that's all" I said to myself. I put in all of the necessary information: Ht. 27in. Wt. 18.2 Head Circumference 47. Here are the results:
Ht. - in the 50 to 75 percentile
Wt. - in the 50 to 75 percentile
Head Circumference - above the 95 percentile

That's a pretty big head. So now i'm worried. Will the rest of him ever catch up? Will he be made fun of? Will his head ever be smaller than over 95% of babies his age? UGH GRRRR AHHHHH I wish i'd never done that. I know it's normal for babies to have big heads but now i wonder for how long? I keep telling myself it's ok. He's perfectly healthy and if the size of his head was not normal his doctor would've already said so. I just want my little boy to be happy and perfect. We always notice that his head is a bit big and then there's all that wild hair. I'll be ok. He's perfect exactly the way he is.

Enough worrying. Enjoy these pictures from this morning at school.

Yankees win!!!

While Ernest is not a baseball fan he still roots for the Yankees. I'm a Mets fan and will forever be one but i've decided that all of the awful heartbreak i've suffered as a Mets fan will not be passed on to Caleb. I can't do it. I was at that game the first year they choked. That was the last game of that season when we played the Florida Marlins and Tom Glavine gave up 8 runs in 2 innings. I sat in that upper deck with all the hope in the world praying that on this, our last day, our last chance, we would make it. We were the Amazin's. We were gonna pull through. But after those first two innings and those 8 runs, not only did we not have a chance but the Nationals were winning their game which meant WE. WERE. DONE. So, like i said, i will forever be a Mets fan but i want Caleb to root for a team that doesn't come with so much heartbreak and roller coaster seasons. He will be a Yankee fan. Well, for now, he'll be a Yankee fan. Who knows if he'll even like baseball, or any sport for that matter. He might just like science in which case i don't think there are any teams there or jerseys he can wear. I'll make him a pocket protector and encourage him just as much, but for now here are some pics of my little man sporting his very handsome Yankee cap. To the side like the big kids and also like his namesake.

Caleb, come to the table.

This morning, after i was done explaining to Caleb's teacher when his last bottle was and blah blah blah i turned around and my son, my beautiful, six month old son is sitting at the table, yes, the table, in his little chair playing with some toys. SITTING! UNASSISTED! playing with some toys. One of the teachers had been holding him and she needed to have her hands free so she sat him down. I was shocked. I almost cried. I hope you're all aware that i plan on crying every time he reaches a milestone, and accomplishes something that i had no hand in. Like sitting at this table with the 1 year olds. Yep. The 1 year olds. I've always known my kid never liked his bouncy chair once he could sit up. He really enjoys sitting. But i never imagined he would be sitting at that table by himself. I fought back the tears but it was almost harder to leave this morning because i wanted to stay there, hug and kiss him, and let him know how proud i was of him. I did all these things, but i wanted to do them for much longer. Ahh Daycare. Wonderful, wonderful daycare. They really do take care of those kids and they all seem so happy to be there. Everyday when my mother picks him up she gets a great report about Caleb. He ate all of his food, drank all of his milk and water. Played, slept, etc. etc. Doesn't cry. Knows everyone now. That's my boy. One of the teachers calls him her little lion because of his hair. It does look like his little face is just surrounded by crazy, wild, unkept hair. He's so handsome. I adore him. It's so nice to see him well and healthy again. Now, Ernest caught his cold. Poor Papi. Caleb should share some of his medicine. I wish i had a picture of this morning but i was overwhelmed with pride in him that i didn't even think. More some other time.

Did someone ask for an Easter Bunny?

Well i got one for you. Caleb Carter as the, recuperating from a cold, best looking Easter bunny you've ever seen. I'm biased, i know. but c'mon! And yes, he had a cold. A GOOD ONE! Last Saturday he was very unlike himself. Cuddling and wanting to sleep in people's arms (trust me, he usually can't stand that stuff), so of course we immediately thought something was "off." We watched him for the next couple of days and on Tuesday i came home and saw him sleeping in Ernest's arms and when he put him down in his crib he started to cry. He picked him up again, put him down and the same thing happened. So we checked him. He had a fever, slight, but a fever. This is what i was dreading. So i obsessively took his temperature every 20 minutes and gave him tylenol (not obsessively). The fever came down. PHEW! Then it came back during the night. His little body was so hot and so i gave him a little more tylenol at at 2am it was 100.6. I almost drove us to the emergency room (i can't drive so that's probably what kept us home). I did call the doctor who told me that if his fever goes above 101 then i should take him in but that if it doesn't then i can take him to his pediatrician in the morning. The fever stayed down but at 7:30 it was up again and that's when we got ready and took him in. At the doctor's office he had a fever of 103. HIs doctor was very concerned because he's so young for that kind of a fever. Not unusual in babies, but a concern nonetheless. Doctor checked him, he had a tiny ear infection, his chest, lungs, and nose were congested in the slightest of ways since i took him in so quickly. His doctor was so sweet. He really is a great pediatrician and noticed how different and down Caleb looked from his visit the Saturday before. He's so gentle with him. So since he had a high fever he was given an anti-biotic shot to try and boos his immune system, lower the fever and start fighting the infection and was prescribed liquid anti-bioitics for the next 10 days and a decongestant. So here we are. 7 days later and the little guy has come through it so bravely. What a strong boy. He did have trouble sleeping and eating in the last week but since yesterday he's been back to normal. Eating everything and last night he slept better than he had been. His nose is less congested (thank goodness for humidifiers). Still had a bit of a cough but sounds so much better now. I did notice he's a little hoarse but that's a combination of his sore throat and his constant screaming. He had it so rough for a bit. But on Sunday he was already feeling better and even though we didn't do any big Easter activities we did get to take him out for a bit on Saturday and put on his Easter bunny hat, made by me, with some help from a friend, on Sunday. On another note, he's doing fantastic in Daycare. This morning i dropped him off and he leaned towards one of the teachers so that she can hold him and when i stood at the door saying goodbye to him, he just stared and looked away. Yes, i know. That's what i want. But does it have to make me happy? NO! But at the same time it does. Oh, another thing about the success of daycare. Some of my family came over this past weekend to see Caleb since it'd been months since their last visit and...TUN TUN TUN! Caleb did not cry at all. He smiled and cooed and rolled over, and did all of the things he does. It was great to see the effect Daycare is having on him and his social skills. Makes me feel more comfortable about leaving him every morning. Well, i guess that's it. I will try to do this more often. Caleb's doing so much that it's hard to remember it all. bye.

Oh the places we will go.

Ok, so we've been doing a lot lately. Let's see. We'll go in order. Since the last time i blogged which was about the craziness that ensued at our visit to his Uncle's we went to a friend's baby shower. I was nervous that he would cry the entire time we were there but NOPE. Not once. We trekked into the city on a stormy, rainy Sunday and when we arrived i warned anyone who came close to him not to make a big deal about him. Because, as we're finding out, he's more comfortable making the first move (i truly hope that changes as he gets into his teen years ;). Caleb Carter let everyone hold him. At one point a friend took him away and was showing him around. I couldn't believe it. My mother couldn't believe it. Then i started to look for a reason as to why he didn't behave that way at his Uncle's. Kids, i tell ya. So i deemed that day a successful one. This past Saturday we had a picnic in Central Park. It was the first beautiful weekend and i was not going to let it pass us by. I gathered a couple of friends and Caleb's cousins and we headed to CP for a low-key picnic. Just sandwiches, drinks, and lots of love for Caleb. He was great. He did have his moments cuz CP was packed so i'm sure it was a bit stimulating. I tend to forget that he's a baby and all of this can be a lot. That was successful too especially since he got to spend time with people who so clearly want to stay in his life as he grows up. I love that. The following day we headed to Auntie Violette's for a family Sunday. It was extra special because my mother was going to be there for the first time. Both grandmothers would be in the same room enjoying their grandson. Overall, i think it went well. There was no non-stop crying. He hung out with cousin Marc, had some special time with Grandma Marie. Let Uncle Mez and Auntie Vi kiss him, played ball with cousin Brian and had a beautiful bonding moment with Auntie Val. That was super sweet. After his bottle he and I laid on the rug and Valerie came over and he was talking to her and smiling and even showed he could roll over. They were unable to see that the last time since he was a total mess. Again, he becomes very overwhelmed by people and the love that is so abundantly thrown at him. So sometimes he cried but it was definitely so much more manageable than last time. We just have to pay them a visit more often and then he'll be fine. So those were some outings we had. In terms of developmental accomplishments, he's amazing. Sitting up almost completely unassisted. Learning how to hold his bottle and basically just being a big boy. Eats all his solids. Loves cereal mixed with a bit of fruit (thanks Auntie Val), and loves himself some crazy Yo Gabba Gabba. He's even responding to his favorite episode - Dance - by smiling at some of the sections. It's a adorable. Also, he's now rolling over on both sides. Sleeps basically on his belly since he rolls over at night. Sometimes i'm woken up in the middle of the night simply to turn him on his back because he's too tired to get himself back :). He's still not sleeping through the night but is making progress. He has stopped bouncing like a mad man and is now practicing how to stand up straight. Legs very stiff. He's putting everything and anything in his mouth, including our faces. It's the best to pick him up and he immediately grabs my face and tries to eat it. Soo funny. He's doing great. We're amazing by every move he makes. Ernest was sitting on the floor with him and all he wanted to do was play with his chair. Not sit in it but play with it. So Ernest leaned him against it and he was on his knees trying to climb on it. Picture proof above. As you can see, he's actually standing up, trying to climb on it. Oy. He's also starting to figure out the crawling. He'll be on his belly and move his legs up and down. Picks up his little butt and tries to get his knees under him. It's going to happen really soon. And now for the post of all posts; FIRST DAY OF DAYCARE. What a traumatizing experience - for me. I hoped Ernest would go with me but of course he had to work early and couldn't. I had to prep to do it on my own. I remained calm as i left him in a bouncy chair while i talked to his teacher. My eyes were welling up but i was ok. Then. He. Starts. Crying. His cry. The one that according to him, only I can take away. So i continue to talk to his teacher and now tears are coming. I couldn't stop them and i start crying. His teacher, who is 6 months pregnant has to walk away because i was making her cry and then one of the aides was trying to console me by telling me that it's normal and that he would be ok. He would be well-taken care of. I know he will. It didn't make it any easier. So i calm down and finish talking to his teacher. I noticed he had stopped crying too. Then just as i was leaving, he starts. He was being held by one of the aides and as i peeked around the corner to see him another aide intercepted me and told me to go. That it wouldn't be good for him to see me since i wasn't going to stay with him. so i left. And i cried outside and when i called Ernest and when i called my cousin to tell her how it went. What an awful morning. Well day, really. Then when Ernest calls me after he'd picked him up, he tells me that he found him in a bouncy chair, in a circle with the other infants, watching Barney. Clearly, i had a worst day than he did. So that's how it's been this week. I drop him off. Feel awful cuz it's still hard to leave him. Then at 5 i get a call saying he was so happy. How conflicting. Ernest and I want him to be good without us. However, for me, at least, it's a little painful to hear that he is ok without us. I know he's little and it's the best time for Daycare because he'll adapt quickly but he's my little boy. He's a momma's boy. Sshhh don't tell Ernest. Now that 3 days have past i've done really well. I drop him off, talk to his teacher, then walk over to him and give him a hug, a kiss, and tell him that i love him. He still cries but it was really great to hear today when i went to put him in the swing that he prefers the walker. It made me realize that he is ok. He's being paid attention to and the aides notice what he likes and what makes him comfortable while he's there. So we carry on. I knew this would be hard but never realized the emotional toll it can take. My heart was aching when i left him that first day. Never had i felt anything like that. I'm sure it's not the last time i'll feel it either. I know this was a long one but he keeps us busy and tired and it's impossible to do this everyday. Enjoy.