Of A Different Spirit

Caleb really enjoyed his first Thanksgiving. He is now interacting more and was able to have fun with everybody. He spent the day at his Aunt Abby's with Gramma Austin, Uncle Justin, Aunt Mindie, and cousins Laycie and Torrie. We couldn't get him to sleep very much because there was too much to look at so he got a little grumpy sometimes, but other than that he did very well.

I was a little aggravated that I couldn't find an outfit for him that said "Baby's First Thanksgiving," but I think the bib did fine. He wore an outfit that cousin Laycie knitted for him that worked very well with the bib. Both Laycie and Torrie are so sweet to make things for him.

He has done a lot of growing since October. I have no doubt that the next doctor's appointment will show that he weighs somewhere around 14 pounds. He is now in some 3-6 months clothes. Some are still just a little too big. He doesn't ever completely fill out his clothes, but he is certainly long enough for them. It won't be much longer until he will have gotten too long for the bassinet and we will need to move him into the nursery.

He smiles a lot now. It won't be long until he will be laughing. He comes very close to laughing now. It doesn't take much to make him smile. All we usually have to do is talk to him and he will grin. He is also holding his head up very well. It isn't to the point to where we don't need to help him and support it, of course, but it won't be too much longer until he will be doing it on his own.

He likes tummy time and is able to entertain himself somewhat. He is also starting to look beyond what is right in front of him. He will sometimes watch TV for a few minutes. He will also look at pictures on the wall or toys that are a few feet away. He is cooing more and more. He really likes to try to talk to us and still prefers human interaction to looking at a toy.

He has found his fist as well as his thumb, which I am happy about. I have never been a fan of pacifiers because they can be a source of several things that are not great for babies. However, for a while they were a necessary "evil" (for lack of a better word). Now, he doesn't like to take a pacifier and would rather find his thumb to fall asleep with. He also likes to suck his thumb while taking a break during tummy time as you can see in the picture. Well, we won't have to worry about dropping it anymore. I must admit, it is adorable.

This Thanksgiving also brought wonderful news. Caleb will be getting another cousin this June! My brother, Jeremy, and his very sweet wife Michelle will be busy in another 8 months or so. Congratulations Jeremy and Michelle! We eagerly await the arrival of your own little blessing!

Caleb has experienced his first Halloween and I think he really enjoyed it. He spent the evening with his Aunt Abby and Gramma. He didn't join into the festivities, of course, because they mostly consisted of watching movies, eating pizza, and handing out candy. We just gave him something to look forward to, that is, with the exception of handing out candy. If he wants to do that, he will have to do it on his own because this was the first and last year I will be doing that. I found it extremely annoying as I couldn't watch a movie without being interrupted. I'll just have to enlist him to help clean the eggs off of our door every year. Ahhh...Halloween traditions in the making!

Anyway, he looked so cute in his costume. I think he made a great skeleton. Abby bought the outfit a few months before he was born and I couldn't wait to see it on him. It was a little big and we could only put the whole outfit on him for a few minutes for pictures because it was too warm to keep him in it the whole evening.

He made a new friend too. Like me, my sister Abby is a cat lover. She has a cat named Onyx that, like all of her cats, has an interesting personality. He seemed to really like Caleb and insisted on cuddling with him throughout the visit. He would sit as close as possible to whomever was holding Caleb at the time and would eventually try to get into their lap where Caleb was sitting. I didn't get any pictures of it, but Abby sent me a picture of Onyx in his costume that I just have to share.

Caleb continues to surprise us with how fast he is growing and developing both physically and cognitively. He seems to recognize both mine and Keith's faces. His new favorite activity is lifting his head. He seems to think it is really great because it usually puts a really big smile on his face. A good portion of the time it will calm him down when he is crying if you will put him on your chest so that he can lift his head and look at your face or whatever is behind you. Keith has been working with him on holding up his head in a sitting position which Caleb has also enjoyed a lot. Of course, Caleb enjoys any time that he spends with his dad. It has been such a joy watching the two of them form a relationship. There is nothing else like watching Keith with Caleb. He's a natural. Ah, the joys of motherhood!