From Newborn to Two-Year Old

In some ways it seems like just yesterday that we saw Cale's face for the very first time. I can remember the anxious feeling I had those first few nights we had Cale home. But in other ways, it seems like a vague, distant memory to think he was ever a tiny newborn. It seems like it has taken forever to get from newborn to two-year old, but then it also seems like it has totally blinked by. Does that make sense?

We spent the day spoiling our little two-year old. We took him to McDonald's for breakfast (which may not seem like spoiling to you and I but it's his favorite place and we don't really go there that often), played with him tons, let him open one of his birthday presents, and then took him to Playworld and Chili's in Conway. Cale loves Playworld and is getting pretty good at going through the maze. Carl still goes with him, of course, but besides one or two areas Cale is able to complete the maze without daddy's help. After playing for about an hour, we headed to Chili's for dinner. We asked our waitor if they would sing happy birthday to Cale, but he didn't seem too thrilled about the idea. So instead, he brought out a bowl of ice-cream and explained that Cale would 'probably cry' so he didn't want to sing to him and scare him. He obviously doesn't know Cale! I think he would've loved it! But, Cale was perfectly happy with the ice-cream. When he finished, he began looking around for our waitor and then yelled, "I'm done, little boy. I'm done". Well, that'll teach our waitor to not sing to him! I don't think the scrawny, college-aged guy would've appreciated being called 'little boy', but we thought it was pretty funny.

We are having Cale's birthday party on Thursday evening. We decided to wait a few days for his party since everyone has just finished attending multiple Christmas gatherings. We assumed everyone needed a little break! We did decide to let Cale open one of his presents, though. We weren't going to, because he got so many presents at Christmas, so it's not like he's hurting for new gifts. But, then a package was delivered to our door. It was actually Cale's party supplies that I ordered online for Thursday. Well, of course he sees any kind of package now and thinks it belongs to him. For several minutes, he argued with Carl that it was his present. Then, finally he got mad, opened the closet door in the play room, threw the package on the floor, shut the door, and said, "Mama, your mail is gone". So, for some reason that incident made us decide to let him open one of his small gifts. Go figure.

We are so proud of our little guy and how much he has changed over the past two years. He makes us laugh every single day and never ceases to surprise us with something he says or does. For example, on Christmas morning as we were getting ready to go out to my parents' house, Carl gave Cale some candy. Cale turned around and instead of saying 'thank you' he said, "I'm so proud of you, Daddy." Where does he come up with this stuff? We can't really remember what life was like before Cale, but we know it must have been pretty boring. He keeps us on our toes constantly and we wouldn't have it any other way. We are so blessed to have a happy, healthy little boy. Happy Birthday, Cale! We love you!

Christmas Eve

It's finally Christmas Eve! Actually, besides the last few days the month of December has seemed to fly by. Before school was out I was a little sad thinking that Christmas would come and go before we really had a chance to enjoy the holidays. But, this week, as hectic as it's been with my 10 trips to Wal-Mart and countless other stores, wrapping presents like a maniac (which is really uncomfortable to do with a pregnant belly), and trying to entertain a 2-year old, it has actually been a pretty slow week. I guess I should be glad it's gone by slowly because it's my break from work. And I never like time off to fly by. But, I guess I'm just so excited for Cale to enjoy his first real Christmas morning. He celebrated Christmas last year but even though he was one-year old he really didn't understand Christmas at all. And he really wasn't all that in to toys last year. He was totally in the "get everything out of drawers and cabinets because that's way more fun than toys" phase. Thank you Lord we seem to be past that phase (besides his sudden fixation with my pots and pans again)!

This year Cale is ALL about toys. Mainly just tractors, trucks, or trains, but he plays with those things all day. No kidding. I'm hoping that some of his new toys like puzzles and things will broaden his interests a little. But, he will probably pick a favorite one or two toys...like his big truck with a trailor or his new tractors and that will be all he'll play with for awhile. But, that's okay!

I think Cale is starting to get a little antsy about Christmas. It's like we've been talking about it for so long and how Santa is coming to bring him some presents, he's now wondering why it's never happening. And he doesn't quite understand, "in a few more days". I haven't put any presents under the tree yet. Partly because I've been putting my wrapping off until Christmas break. And partly because I have been afraid of how Cale will react. Will he try to open the presents? Will he have enough self-control to wait?

Yesterday, Carl decided to wrap my gifts while Cale was asleep. Well, of course Cale woke up part-way through Carl's wrapping process. And of course he wanted to "help". He helped Carl wrap a few and then placed them under the tree. He then brought back a bag that Carl had already put under the tree. Carl explained that it was Mama's present. Cale, in the most pitiful voice, began crying and saying, "I not get a present. Cale not gonna get a present." He cried for several minutes as he repeated that he wasn't getting a present. I must admit I was seconds away from going to the attic and bringing down one of his gifts. But, I managed to refrain and stay strong. I know it's hard for him to understand the waiting and seeing packages that can't be opened until "later". I'm sure "later" seems like an eternity to a 2 year old. But, it will be worth it on Christmas morning. I haven't been this excited about Christmas since I was a kid, believing in Santa Claus. I absolutely can't wait to see Cale's reaction when he walks in on Christmas morning, sees the presents under the tree, and finally gets to open them!

I'm not sure when the phrase "pregnancy waddle" became a term of endearment, but to some I think it must be. Too bad to me, it isn't! I can't tell you how many people have commented on my worsening "waddle". They always say it nicely, as if it's somehow cute (maybe in like a "so ugly it's cute" kinda way), but I know there's nothing "cute" about it. Just what I want to be brought to my attention at the end of a long day as I drag my swollen ankles down the school hallway to the bathroom and back, or to the copier and back, etc. (I really truly don't take it personal because I know nobody means it in a harmful way, and I know it's just a part of pregnancy life) It's just funny.

The other day, one of the teachers told me that she had a student ask her why Mrs. Kirtley walked so weird this year, but didn't walk that way last year. I don't know why but that really bothered me. I guess because kids are so totally honest! The whole rest of that day I tried my hardest not to do the "side-to-side waddle" but I think it's a lost cause. I'm going to waddle my way through Christmas and the month of January, but then hopefully after that I will waddle no more!

I can not wait to have Keaton here for so many reasons, skinny ankles and waddling just being a few of them!

Last night I was awoken by the sound of Cale's voice. It was a little eerie because he spoke so softly. He walked up to the bed and said, "Momma, I'm cold". So I pulled him into bed with us and he bundled under the covers. He was so still I really thought maybe he was going to fall asleep in our bed, which would be a first EVER. But, I knew it was too good to be true. Within a few minutes, he was asking to go back to his bed. He WILL not sleep with us...I guess because he never did as a little baby. I guess I should look at it as a good thing, but sometimes it would be nice. I took Cale into his room, which was actually quite cold. I guess he was telling the truth, poor little guy. I assumed he was making up an excuse to get out of bed.

It's so strange for Cale to be able to walk into our room at night. He's only done it a handful of times, thankfully. It seems like just yesterday that he was in a crib, unable to talk or roll over. Now, he gets out of my lap after we read a story, turns off his light, hands me his sippy cup for some more milk, and climbs into bed pulling the covers up under his chin. It's crazy how fast he's growing up. I actually don't like to think about it! I'm afraid he'll be 15 before I know it and I will long for these sweet toddler days. I will long for him to wrap his arms around my neck and beg me not to "leave him". I will long to be awoken at 5:30 AM by a smiling boy in pajamas who barrels into the room saying, "I wake up, Mommy! I wake up!" I will long to play tractors or trains just one more time (something that I get a little tired of lately). I will long to have Cale sit in my lap as I read The Little Engine that Could for the 20th night in a row. And I know I'll miss the way he grabs my mouth so I can't speak when it comes to a part he wants to say in the book. I know there will be great things about every phase of Cale's life, even his teenage years. But, I'm just trying to savor these sweet toddler moments for as long as they will last!

Laundry

I wonder if I'm the only one who has ever done this? The other night I reluctantly got the laundry out of the dryer and forced myself to begin folding and hanging things up. I don't know why I loathe laundry so much, because it's a relatively easy task. But, it's a never-ending cycle and I think that's what I hate. As I was folding clothes, I kept wondering why everything had so much lint on it. I mean the clothes were covered in rough, white specks. I thought it was because I had washed Cale's bathroom rug with the load. As I was getting to the bottom of the basket, I picked up...a diaper. A very clean, fresh diaper, but a diaper nonetheless. And then I found the wipe that accompanied this diaper. Yes, I washed a dirty diaper and wipe with a load of clothes by accident. I can only hope that the contents of the diaper were...ahem...number one and not two. Does that mean I can reuse the diaper? Okay, I guess I'm not that cheap. If this has never happened to you, beware. I pretty much had to rewash the whole load. You probably think, "Well, obviously." But, the sad thing is I didn't rewash the load because the clothes got washed with a dirty diaper. I rewashed the load because everything was all lint-covered! If not for that, the clothes probably would have been hung up in the closet, in hopes that no one would notice. Yes, seriously. Did I mention I hate doing laundry?

So it finally happened last night. I actually can't believe it took so long. We were sound asleep in our beds at about 1:00 AM, only to be suddenly awakened by Cale saying, "Hey mama" within an obviously close proximity. It's funny how Carl claims he can't hear Cale crying on the baby monitor, but he shot out of bed so quickly when he heard Cale nearby. For some reason, Cale decided to leave his room in the middle of the night. The crazy thing is, I never heard him crying or making any noise...which I always hear. I don't know what made him decide to get up. So, I tried to get the fussy little guy back to sleep, and of course he was very persistent in doing the opposite. About an hour later, and three trips to Cale's room in response to his yelling/crying for me, he was finally quiet. I was so relieved when I realized he was actually asleep. I rolled over, planning to finally drift off into a deep sleep, free of interruptions, when suddenly I felt it. A feeling I have come to dread with each pregnancy. The leg cramp. A pain that I feel, even though it's short-lived, is almost worse than labor pains. I stupidly stretched my leg out just a tad as I was rolling over and it was enough to cause the cramp of all cramps. (I have actually become very good at avoiding the cramps during this pregnancy, but every once in awhile I revert back to my old leg-stretching ways) My poor husband was awoken by my spastic flailing on the bed and he massaged my leg until it finally passed. I always feel a little silly when they're over because I wonder if I maybe overreacted. But, I can't help it. To me, they're unbearable.

I'm thinking this next baby, Keaton, is probably going to be a horrible sleeper and this is God's way of getting me ready for the many night wakings that are in my future because between Cale waking up several times, me having to go to the bathroom several times, and leg cramps...I can't seem to get a peaceful night's sleep!

On another note, we took Cale to the Christmas parade tonight and he loved every minute of it. Well, not the minutes leading up to the parade...he got quite antsy then. I think most of all he loved all the marching bands. He's suddenly become very interested in drums. His next love was definitely the fire trucks, which wasn't surprising! I hope to make the parade a tradition every year!

Branson Trip

This past weekend, we made a trip to Branson with my family. We had been looking forward to this trip because it had been awhile since we'd had a vacation and also it was nice to visit Branson in cooler weather, instead of the smoldering hot summertime which we normally go in. One of the main reasons we decided to go this time of year was because we wanted to see the Christmas light display at Silver Dollar City. We thought Cale would really be able to enjoy everything "Christmas" this year. Before heading to Silver Dollar City, we went to get Cale's picture made with Santa at Bass Pro on the Landing. Cale wasn't too scared of Santa and he sat there like a good little boy complete with a solemn, unsure look on his face. But, no tears! When we got finished with the picture, we walked over to a holiday train exhibit that was set up in Santa's workshop area. Cale was instantly in love. The electric train drove through a snow covered village and made sounds. After a few minutes of watching, we tried to leave. Cale made it clear that was not happening. We tried again several times, but were unsuccessful. Finally, we just decided to tough it out. We told Cale we wanted to see the fish (we thought that was soften the blow of leaving the trains) When we got to the fish aquariam, Cale was still a bit cranky. I tried talking to him about the fish and saying things like, "Oooohh, look at that big catfish, Cale". But, I guess he's not a baby that can be tricked into things anymore. He put me in my place by saying, "Don't talk to me, Mama." That was the meanest thing he's ever said to me! I guess I better get used to it, because I'm sure that meaner words will come in the future.

After enduring dinner at Shorty Smalls...I say enduring because Cale was not exactly on his best behavior. Lack of sleep + No schedule + Cousins (who he loves, but he shows out for) = Naughty Cale :) We headed to Silver Dollar City. If you've never been at Christmas time, you're missing out. I don't think I've ever seen so many lights. It felt like we were walking through a village at the North Pole and as a kid I would have thought it was completely magical, I actually thought so now. The highlight of the night was the train ride. We had been telling Cale for days that he would get to ride the train at Silver Dollar City. He was completely infatuated with the ride, the sounds, the conductor yelling, "All aboard!". He was having fun until the train stopped in the middle of the ride. An old man with a white beard sat in a rocking chair and told the Christmas story. In the middle of his story Cale said rather loudly, "I don't like Santa Claus"...several times. The lady in front of us tried to explain to Cale that the man wasn't Santa Claus, but I'm not sure he believed her. Luckily, after a few minutes, the train began to move again and all was well with Cale. I think he will remember that train ride for awhile. He's been playing with his trains even more the past couple of days and his new favorite phrase is, "All aboard!". Cale says he wants Santa to bring him some more "choo choo tracks" for Christmas. Good thing Santa already has that covered! (Thanks to my sis for letting us borrow her train table and accessories for a few years) I can't wait to see Cale's face on Christmas morning!

Christmas Mood

I love, love, love this time of year. I am excited about Thanksgiving, but even more so for Christmas. I can't wait to put out my Christmas decorations. I tried to talk Carl into us putting them up this weekend but he said I was crazy. He seems to think it's a little too early but I don't think so. I love walking into stores and seeing holiday decorations, holiday food items in the middle of the aisles, and hearing Christmas music. I guess I'm like a big kid in that way. I can't wait to start seeing Christmas lights and playing Christmas music in my car.

But, I think this Christmas will be one of the best in awhile. Cale is actually old enough this year that he will enjoy the holidays and I can't wait. It's like getting to relive the excitement we felt on Christmas as kids, but through Cale. We've already been talking about Santa Claus and toys and Christmas trees. He's crazy about his holiday Thomas the Train DVD he got the other day and has already watched it over and over and over...and I'm thinking it will continue.

I want Cale to love Christmas just like I always have and to get excited as the anticipation to the big day builds. Even if he doesn't understand everything about Christmas this year, he will understand one thing: Toys.

We're going to Branson with my family next weekend. We're going to stay a few nights just to get away and have a mini-vacation. But, another one of the reasons we're going is to see the Christmas light display at Silver Dollar City. I think Cale will have a blast, especially since his cousins will be there to play with. I'm thinking after strolling through the probably-already-holiday-deocorated Branson Landing and seeing the light show at Silver Dollar City, I will definitely be in Christmas mode! But, for Carl's sake I will try to wait until after Thanksgiving to take down our fall decorations and put up our Christmas decorations. Maybe Thanksgiving night... :)

And the Temper Rolls...

Cale's temper is becoming quite apparent lately. It seems to flair up most often when he gets frustrated while playing. As much as he loves, I mean adores to the point of obsession, his tractors, these are also the items that tend to usually be on the receiving end of his rage. On several occasions lately, Cale has become upset because his tractor wasn't cooperating as he felt it should. To make his ease his frustration, he's been chunking the tractor on the ground, several times in a row. And I mean hard. It's actually a little funny to watch because his tractors are literally his best buds yet he can turn on them on the drop of a hat, and down to the floor they are thrown as if they are trash.

Tonight, we sat on our bed watching Thomas the Train and playing tractors. Cale couldn't get his trailor to hitch onto the tractor like he wanted. All of the sudden his face got red, he clenched his teeth, he huffed and puffed a little...then, I guess because the floor wasn't easily accessible he decided not to chunk the tractor. He frantically leaned down, and for lack of a better punishment idea, he bit his tractor and then topped it off with a good "spanking". I'm sure that tractor learned his lesson. I couldn't help but laugh because it's so funny to see how Cale reacts to things as he gets older, even when his reactions are probably not the best. After a minute or two, Cale and his tractor were friends once again, as if the incident never happened.

I guess he got the spanking idea from me. No, not because I spank him all the time...even though he has gotten a few spankings in his little lifetime. But, whenever somthing hurts him, we "spank" it to make him feel better. He stubs his toe on the toybox, we spank it. His finger gets smashed by his tractor, we spank it. It may not be the best thing to teach an almost-two-year-old, but it usually stops his fussing instantly and the tears go away. It's called survival and sometimes it must be used in dangerous, scary, toddler jungle. If you've got kids, you know what I mean. If you don't, you will know one day.

I have a feeling we will have to work on temper issues quite often as Cale gets older. But, the older he gets the less funny it will be I'm sure.

It's funny how life changes when you have a baby. I was on recess duty earlier this week. I looked up and noticed a fire truck driving through the Kroger parking lot. Suddenly I felt excited. Then, I realized Cale wasn't with me, and I couldn't help but laugh. What is wrong with me? I guess I'm a mom, that's what! You're interests and outlooks change when you have a little one. I notice things I would've never even thought about before. Things like the sound of a motorcycle engine revving or a siren of any kind. These things get a reaction from Cale everytime.

Having a toddler changes you from a person who hopes to miss every train that comes through town, to a person who tries to find the nearest railroad track any time a whistle blows just so you can sit and watch the train go by. (only when Cale's with me, of course!) Things like tractors, dump trucks, ambulances, bulldozers, firetrucks, cows, horses, squirrels, birds, frogs...these things make me excited now because I know Cale gets excited for them. I guess it's like reliving my youth all over again! Strange.

And our taste in music has definitely taken a turn since we've had Cale. Carl and I now catch ourselves humming the tune to Handy Manny or Blues Clues more than the latest songs. Ask us about a current popular song and we can't name one, but ask about a song that was on Yo Gabba Gabba, and we can probably sing it. "There's a party in my tummy, so yummy, so yummy" That's been one of those awful, can't get it out of your head, kind of songs!

On a side note, Cale really loves music right now. He can sing parts of Twinkle, Twinkle, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Justin Beiber's "Baby", a 6-7 letter version of the ABC's, and a piece or two of a turkey song that his babysitter is teaching him. He loves to sing and it's so funny to listen to him. He's not much on dancing yet, but I guess I'm to blame for that because this Momma don't dance! It's my phobia. And when he does try to "bust a move" it looks about like me trying to dance. Not pretty! ;)

On another side note, Cale is still announcing when he toots. I always try to say, "Cale, what do you need to say?". But, lately when he toots he says, "Trick-or-Treat". I guess all that prompting before Halloween has caused just a little bit of confusion.

Pregnancy Woes

How many more weeks? It seems like I've been pregnant forever, yet I still have a ways to go. I'm 26 weeks pregnant today, even though I look and feel like I did at about 36 weeks last time. Seriously, I had always heard that most people got bigger, faster with the second pregnancy. But, nobody told me how much bigger or how much faster these things happened. Geez. Sadly, I have almost reached my end of pregnancy weight gain from my first pregnancy...already...at 26 weeks...with 14 to go. And believe me, a lot can happen in 14 weeks. Especially 14 weeks consisting of delicious Thanksgiving meals, Christmas dinners, and way too many sweets. Oh well, it's just a number, right?

Not only do I already look much more pregnant than last time, but I feel much more pregnant than last time. By Fridays, my ankles have turned into very sore cankles. And I should be listed in the Guiness Book of World Records for the number of trips I make to the bathroom in one day. And, it's like an Olympic feat getting up from a lying position. I have to strategically think through getting up off the couch after watching TV.

And maternity pants. An item of clothing that makes my stomach churn. The regular kind won't stay up on me and I spend the whole day pulling and tugging. So, I'm forced to wear the full panel kind that come up to my chest and make me feel like a complete dork. And believe me, they don't do anything for my figure, which is already in desperate need of help at this point! Oh how I miss real jeans!

Don't get me wrong, I am so thankful that we're having another baby. It's worth every minute of discomfort and awkwardness. Every minute, hour, day, month...yes it's worth it. It's worth not getting that Sonic drink as often as I would like. Which is every day! It's worth breaking my horrible habit of a thermos of wonderful, regular, coffee every school morning, and trading it for a small cup of decaf. It's worth trading in those cute, heeled boots of fall for boring flats. I guess I shouldn't care because I soon won't be able to see my feet anyway! It's worth it all. I just wish men got to experience just a day of the discomfort, of the complete lifestyle change that pregnancy presents. Makes me think of that old Cosby show episode.

Well, we're about 4 days into the "big boy" bed and things are going alright. Cale is going to sleep in the bed perfectly, but he's waking up at least once a night. I'm not sure if it's the bed or something else...because Cale has always gone through phases of waking up in the night, sleeping through the night. Last night, he woke up 3 times which is definitely out of the ordinary. The first 2 times he woke up for unknown reasons. But the third time, he had a very good excuse. He woke up screaming frantically, which is different than his normal crying/whining at night. So, I quickly went in to see what was wrong. He had fallen off the bed, but not on the side that opens to the floor. He had fallen between the wall and the bed and was stuck in a weird, almost upside down position. Somehow his bed had scooted away from the wall enough to allow his little body to fall through. I grabbed him up and spent the next few minutes trying to calm him down. I scooted his bed back, but he kept telling me to have daddy come fix it. Guess he doesn't trust my "technical" skills. Typical man already. Probably doesn't like my driving either. As I went back to bed I have to say I laughed. I felt sorry that our little guy got scared but it was quite funny the way he was hanging there.

At about 6:30 (Cale's typical wake-up time...even on the weekends, *sigh*), we awoke to Cale's happy sounds...which are a signal that there's no going back to sleep in the Kirtley household. After a few minutes of the happy sounds, Cale began to "page" me by yelling his usual "Mama...Mama...Mama..." (and it always just keeps going like a broken record until I go into his room to get him.) At least he hasn't figured out that he can simply climb out of his bed when he wakes up. I guess when you've been in "crib prison" your whole life, it's hard to adjust to the new freedom. Too bad that won't last. After a couple minutes of cartoons we decided on McDonald's for breakfast. Partly because I didn't want to cook. Partly because I didn't want to clean up the mess of cooking and eating. Oh the mess of a toddler eating. And partly because Cale LOVES to go to "McDonuls". When he sees the yellow arch he always begins shouting, "I see it! I see it! McDonuls!" We're probably creating a monster, I know. Creating, ha who am I kidding? We've already created a monster.

When we got in McDonald's Cale asks for the usual, "pantakes" and boy did he eat some pancakes...and eggs...and sausage...and hashbrowns. He's suddenly in an eating phase again. Some days he will barely eat much of anything and some days he eats like he's been starving. The past few days he's been starving. For some reason it does a mama's heart good to see her little one scarfing down food. Even when their little on is already pretty stocky.

Toddler Bed

Well, tonight was a big night in the Kirtley household. Carl put Cale's toddler bed together and for the first time he's sleeping in a real bed. I've been nervous about this for a long time and for awhile I thought it would be nearly impossible. But, lately I've had a feeling that it might possibly work. Cale is pretty tired at night lately, and by the time he's taken his bath (and has thrown a fit about initially having to take a bath) he's usually ready for bed (unlike in the past). We decided with the new baby coming in February, it might be smart to try to start easing Cale into a regular bed now. So, after pondering and looking online, we finally ordered one. Cale was truly pumped as he watched Carl put the bed together. He giggled and giggled when he climbed in. Of course he had to take several tractors in the bed and even dumped his tub of legos in. I was afraid that he viewed this bed as more of a play area than a sleeping area, but at least he was open to the idea. After a few minutes of playing I persuaded Cale to take a bath. Persuaded means I let him take just about every toy imaginable into the tub just so that he would go happily without an ugly battle. And believe me, bath battles can get ugly, very ugly.

After his bath, Cale was focused on getting into that bed. The whole time I dressed him and read to him he kept telling me that he wanted to lay down. Finally, after we finished our book and said our prayers, it was time for the big moment. I put Cale under his blankets, with Spiderman on one side of his pillow, and his blue puppy on the other side. Surpisingly, he laid there. He didn't get up jumping or playing or following me as I left. He just laid there and drank his milk.

I know that initial success doesn't mean that the rest of the night will be great. But, it's a start. And to tell the truth, it's more than what I had imagined in my mind all those times I thought about taking Cale out of his crib. Now, ask me tomorrow morning and I may not feel quite so positive about it!

The Zoo

This weekend I decided that we were going to the zoo. Carl knew there was no changing my mind because I had been wanting to go since May. But, with the hot weather we had during the summer, we decided we better wait. So, when I realized that Saturday was going to be nice, a trip to the zoo was on the agenda. That morning before we left, as Carl was planting the two Weeping Willows that we bought for our yard, he cut his leg. The cut looked small, but deep. And it bled. A lot. After putting some heavy duty bandages on the wound, we decided that we didn't want to deal with the unimaginable emergency room bill for stitches, so we just decided to let the cut heal on its own. We went ahead with the zoo plan, partly because we had already told Cale that we were going and partly because we wanted to go eat somewhere good afterwards. A good thing about Carl and I is that we pretty much think alike: food. restaurants. eating.

We were excited to get to the zoo because it was Cale's first trip. Well, first trip to the Little Rock Zoo. It's always a little disappointing when you go to that zoo because it seems like half the animals are in hiding. But, Cale still enjoyed seeing what animals were in view. A few minutes after arriving, we heard a train whistle. We pretty much lost Cale at that moment. He left thoughts of animals, and entered into "trainland". He begged and begged to ride that train every time it came around...and since it's a pretty short route...it came around a lot!

About an hour into the trip, Carl looked down at his leg and it was sopping wet with blood. He shoe, sock, and pants leg were completely covered. Luckily we brought other bandages so we tried to inconspiculously doctor his wound and continue our trip. Abou 10 minutes later, the same thing happened again. At this point we realized we better go and that maybe walking around at the zoo was not the smartest thing we could've chosen to do with Carl's cut leg.

Now I knew that Cale had to ride that train before we left. He was obsessed with it. His every thought was train related. It was all he truly cared about. The sign said that it cost 2 tokens to ride the train and that the train ran until 4:00. Well, wouldn't you know it was 3:35 and I didn't have any tokens. So, since Carl was bleeding I told him to stay with Cale and I began to "book it" across the park to get some tokens. I bet a pregnant lady has never moved so fast at the zoo. I think people must have thought I really needed to go to the bathroom or something because I got some strange looks. By the time I got to the entrance of the park, I was sweating and feeling tired...to say the least. I bought some tokens and began running all the way back. I just knew I would be too late. Amazingly somehow I made it back in time. As Cale and I were about to get on the train, I noticed another sign that said, "2 tokens or $2.00". Lovely. I could've just given cash to the conductor instead of making the awkward "pregnant girl huffing and puffing" jog across the whole zoo and back. Oh well, I got some exercise and Cale got to ride on the train which in his eyes was one of the best things he's ever done. As we were getting off the train, a little boy in front of us was screaming and crying. Cale loudly bragged, "I'm not crying!". We were a little embarrassed (hoping the boy's mom didn't hear), but also a little glad because he was right. He didn't cry one bit as he got off the train!

Our little boy is now talking up a storm. And I mean a storm. You never know what he is going to say or when he is going to say it. For some reason, he is under the misconception that he must announce it to the world when he has...uh...gas. "I tooted!" is something that comes out of his mouth at least 2 or 3 times every day. It's hard because I can't help but find it funny when he says that, but of course I realize that this is not something he should shout from the rooftops. And it can get quite embarrassing at times too. And don't think he won't call you out if you accidentally let one slip, because he will. He'll announce it to whomever is listening...you just have to hope that no one is around.

As we were at Wal-Mart tonight, Cale had something to say about every single aisle we walked down. Of course, he mostly was asking for things he spotted that he wanted...a pumpkin trick or treat pail, a tractor shirt, a ball...etc. In the baby aisle he tried to convince me that he needed a new bed. I guess he remembers the conversation we had the other day about him getting a "big boy bed" soon because his little brother would be needing his baby bed. When it was our turn to check out, he shouted at the Wal-Mart worker, "Hey you!". I was a little embarrassed because it came out sounding so rude for a little guy like him! But, overall Wal-Mart was more successful than normal. Of course, this may have had something to do with the fact that I bribed Cale with a potential trip to the park if he was a good boy in Wal-Mart and sat in the cart the whole time. Miraculously, I'm finding bribery works. Not one time did Cale climb out of his seat in the cart.

I am completely thrilled that our hot, Arkansas, summer weather is finally starting to cool off a little. I enjoy summer up until a point...usually the point tends to be Julyish; the point when you can't walk to your car without feeling the beads of sweat roll down your back, and actually getting in your car just about causes a deadly heat stroke...not to mention the sound of your hands sizzling as you touch the scalding hot steering wheel. Yes, I am glad that those days of extreme heat are hopefully over for awhile.

Cale is really enjoyable these days. He is talking constantly and says some of the funniest and unexpected things. I always tell myself I will write down some of the things he says and does, but I often find myself forgetting after a few days go by.

Lately it seems that Cale is becoming more aware of the world around him. He's entering a phase where he is actually scared of certain things. Up until recently it seemed that very little scared him. Right now, he thinks a cow is in our attic and he often talks and worries about this "cow". Now, before you start thinking Cale is extra-imaginative, the cow he is referring to is Carl. One day Carl snuck into the attic as he saw Cale and I pulling into the driveway. As we got out of the car, he began to "moo". Surpisingly this freaked Cale out and he is just certain there's a real cow in the attic and that it's going to "get him". He talks about this cow several times a day and often thinks he hears him or sees him. I think Carl just might have tramautized Cale!

We are also officially in the "no" phase. Usually the "no" is followed by "mommy", said in a most annoyed voice. "No, Mommy". It seems I can't help him do anything these days. Try to help him drink out of a real cup..."No Mommy". So the drink goes all down the front of his shirt. Try to stir the eggs instead of letting him..."No Mommy". And the runny eggs end up all over the top of the stove, instead of in the pan where they belong. Try to find the tractor video on the computer that Cale is obsessed with watching..."No Mommy" and our computer screen has some crazy error message because of all the random buttons that have been pushed. And forget trying to brush his teeth.

Who am I kidding, that kid is boss and he knows it. I pretend to be in charge but really that little dictator runs the show. When he wakes up, we all wake up...even if it's 5:30. When he's hungry, we eat. If he behaves particularly well in a certain restaurant, we eat there. If he is tired after church, we go home instead of getting a bite to eat. I he wants cartoons, our TV turns to Yo Gabba Gabba, instead of Everybody Loves Raymond, like in the old days. If he doesn't feel good, none of us feel good. If he wants to play outside, we play outside, even if it's 100 degrees out. I hate to admit it, but he is king, living the life of luxury. Hmmm, I wonder what that's like? I guess Cale has a few more months until he will have some real competition for the king's throne. I guess we'll have to get accustomed to life with two kings controlling our every move. Oh boy, lookout! :)

Okay, so I haven't blogged in forever, I know. It's just been a crazy busy few weeks with school starting back. I always forget how hectic the first few weeks of school can be. And I always forget how much I miss summer once school starts up again. I look back with fondness at all the mornings I got to sit around and watch toons with Cale and the evenings I sat around, stress-free, on the computer or watching TV with Carl, instead of doing mounds of school work. I always look back and wonder why I didn't appreciate it more, while it lasted. The time off, that is. But I guess there's something to be said about waking up at 5:30 every morning, rushing around to get everyone ready, driving to work where I don't stop moving until about 4:30, racing home to pick Cale up and start dinner, trying to play with Cale while at the same time trying to clean up dinner and the house, finally getting Cale bathed and ready for bed, then doing laundry and school work before I, myself, call it a night. Yep, there's something to be said about it, but I'm not quite sure what.

So, awhile back I blogged about taking Cale's most prized possession away: his "bot-bot", aka only sippy cup he ever loved. Well, because he quit drinking milk altogether for the few weeks he went without his cup, I caved and brought it back. Now we're on round 3 of bot-bot intervention. This time the confiscation is mainly due to the fact that Cale has been waking up in the middle of the night again lately, wanting milk. He really truly doesn't want milk, but he wants the comfort of his special cup. Because I'm tired of him waking up every night, I've finally decided that I've had enough. So, last week, I made the switch. I knew it wouldn't be easy, but Cale always manages to surprise me at how difficult it can be. He's cried himself to sleep every night for long periods of time, and quit drinking milk completely. I mean he's gone from drinking at least 20 ounces to none, nada.

Today, he even refused a nap altogether. After being so tired at naptime and ready for bed, he cried for over an hour and never did fall asleep. He's so strong-willed, more so than I am, I'm afraid. I'm not sure how long this will go on but I'm going to try my best to be strong, no more caving. Carl thinks we need to give Cale a visual that his bot-bot is gone (so maybe he won't just think we're not giving it to him, which is exactly what we're doing) We're thinking tomorrow while we're outside playing Carl will "accidentally" run over the cup (which will just magically appear behind his tire when Cale isn't looking). That way we can show Cale the crushed cup and maybe he'll begin to accept it. Sounds crazy but Carl accidentally ran over one of Cale's tractors before so I think he'll buy it. Although he does understand how Wal-Mart works and he does know where the sippy cup section is, so we'll see.

The Toothbrush Thief

It's been a long Saturday and I'm so glad to be finally sitting, relaxing on the couch!

Carl was on Cale duty this afternoon/evening while I was working a wedding with my sister. You never know what to expect when my two boys are left alone. But, to my surprise the house wasn't a wreck and most of the toys had been put away! Good Job, Carl! But, when I walked in the door I did notice my toothbrush sitting on the kitchen counter. Yes, the kitchen counter. I really didn't even have to ask. My son has a fetish with toothbrushes and "paste". I don't know how many times a day he gets out our toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste. But, usually I'm right there to retrieve the brush before anything questionable happens to it. The confiscation is always followed by a massive fit, as if those toothbrushes are gold. Cale will probably be horrified when he's older to find out that he loved chewing on our toothbrushes!

So tonight...as I look at my toothbrush sitting on the kitchen counter I wonder what things happened on the journey from the bathroom to the kitchen. Did Cale rub it on the ground? Did he put it in the trash can and then get it back out? Did he try to use it to scrub the rug, as he's seen me do with other types of brushes? And worst of all, did he put it in the toilet? I know he put it in his mouth because he ALWAYS does.

So, the question is..."Will I brush my teeth tonight? Dare I put that toothbrush in my mouth?" What is more disgusting, unbrushed teeth or a dirty toothbrush? I think I will search through my bathroom for an extra, and then I must find a new location for my brush or else get Carl to install some baby-proof locks on our drawers. Beware, nothing is safe in a house when you have a little one who loves to pilfer!

Oh my, I never knew sitting down could feel so good. My pregnancy sciatic nerve has been flaring up the past few days (I know, I sound like an old woman with aches and pains). Cale has been killing me because he's very into me being a "horsey" and also ring-around-the-rosey, both of which kill me! But, if it keeps him happy... It's 8:00 and Cale just went to bed...not sleep but bed. Hopefully sleep will follow soon, although I'm not holding my breath after today's events. Cale was quite the sleepy fellow all day, but resisted a good nap with every attempt. Oh, he had a small, way-too-early-in-the-day nap, but not enough to get him through the afternoon/evening happily. We'll see how the night goes...the teething monster and Pedialyte (instead of the beloved sippy of milk) due to stomach problems will most likely make for an eventful night.

Tonight we went up to my school for a back-to-school teacher party. Everyone brought their families and it was fun to see all the familiar and new faces. Of course we had Cale so I didn't get to chat as much as I would've liked to, but since we ate in the cafeteria he was free to run around as he pleased without causing too much trouble. I love situations like that! There was even a small basketball goal and lots of balls for the kids to play with, so Cale was in heaven. He was actually a very good boy, especially considering the little amount of sleep he was functioning on. Thank goodness!

I think it's safe to say that I'm actually about ready to start school. I guess I still just can't quite say that I'm totally ready, but I'm getting there. One more day of freedom. Well, not really because I will be up at school most of the day tomorrow, but it's voluntary, so I guess I still technically have my freedom until Thursday when we officially, involuntarily go back to school. Here we go again!

The Poopetrator is Back...Bigger and Badder than Ever

So, my worst nightmare has pretty much officially begun. You know, it's bad enough having to change dirty diapers. Especially the older a baby gets. And it was bad enough having to collect samples of Cale's dirty diapers when he was sick. But, now Cale has taken it to a new, even more disgusting level. For the past few months he's been fixated with putting his hand down his pants. Not the Al Bundy, front of the pants pose, but the back of his pants. Well, I'm sure you know where this is going. Lately, the minute he...I'm sitting here trying to think of a proper way to say it, but I'm just going to go ahead...poops, his hand goes to the back of his diaper. He's so speedy about it and it's almost impossible to catch him before it happens. He usually lets a big, "Uh-Oh" and walks in with a super guilty look on his face. I mean, we talk about how nasty and yucky poop is and he loves to act like it's so disgusting as you change his diaper. But, when he gets the chance and nobody is looking, he starts digging like it's buried treasure. Honestly this has been happening at least twice a day lately. Well, at one point this evening, my house had the looks of a crime scene, equipped with handprints, smears on windows, oh yeah a detective's dream. Yes, my just-cleaned-because-company-was-coming house, was now covered in small, smelly handprints. While I was showering this afternoon, Carl was watching Cale. Well, I guess not exactly watching him the entire time because Cale walked into the room Carl was in and showed him his hand. Little did we know, he left his imprint several places before finally turning himself in. So, Carl cleaned him up, first time he's had the honor of catching Cale with the "stink hand". And we thought all was well. As well as it can be when your kid is fixated on poop.

So, as I was putting the finishing touches on the house (aka picking up the random tractors, balls, blocks, etc. that make their way all around the house) I noticed my front windows looked really dirty. Hadn't I just cleaned them yesterday? As I got closer it hit me. I could see the imprint of what looked like a small, grubby hand that had been dragged down the window. Both windows actually. And the window sill. Thankful I caught it before company came over, I rushed to get some cleaning tools. As I cleaned, the smell was somehow released into the air. Yeah, it was nasty. But, I got it cleaned and nobody would have ever known that just minutes before the windows were covered in baby poop. Of course, I secretly thought about it as we all sat eating chocolate cake (how ironic), drinking coffee, and gazing out the windows at the sunset. But, I didn't mention a thing to anyone! My little secret.

So, tonight after everyone was gone and the dishes were put in the dishwasher, I sat down to relax on the couch. As I glanced over I noticed one of the pillows that I just bought for the couch. Was that a brown handprint? Oh yes, on my new pillows. I can only imagine what else Cale touched that we don't know about. Sometimes I wish we had an indoor dog. Kinda like a drug dog for the police department except that this dog wouldn't be hunting drugs. Hopefully he could just locate "affected areas" for us. Because I'm going to feel very silly going around sniffing things. But, I'm afraid it must be done because I can't stand the thought of lingering poop hands. Some things I can overlook...but this...I don't think so.

So, hopefully we will get through the poop addiction, even if it means having some kind of intervention. We've already tried a few things we read about on the Internet (thankfully Cale is not the only child out there with this problem). But, so far the tactics don't seem to be working too well. I think our little guy just loves being nasty.

The Husband that Plays Opposum

So, we are currently going through teething phase number...who knows? I lost count awhile back after the first four teeth or so! But let me tell you, these back teeth are killers! But, seeing how huge they look in Cale's little mouth, I can see what all the fuss is about! So, since it's teething time, we've had the usual 1-2 night wakings the past few nights. Last night, I heard Cale crying so I lay there with my fingers crossed, hoping that maybe he would fall back to sleep as he occassionaly does. All of the sudden after a couple of minutes of crying, I felt my husband's leg nudge mine. I sat there thinking, "Surely that was an accident and he just happened to hit my leg in the process of rolling over. I mean, surely he didn't HEAR Cale crying, because he always claims he has no idea when Cale wakes up." (according to him, that is) Suddenly I felt the nudge again. And then a third time. I thought, "Oh no he didn't! Is he seriously nudging me to wake me up so I can take care of this?" So, the truth finally comes out. All this time Carl has been playing opossum. I mean, I always thought it was strange how he woke up with Cale some in the beginning but then suddenly as Cale began to get older, Carl mysteriously stopped waking to his cries. Well, right then and there I kicked Carl back and asked him what he expected me to do about it. He groggily sat up and, acting like he had just woke up, mumbled, "What's going on?" He was lucky I was too tired to argue or put up a fight. So, I just dragged myself out of bed and went into Cale's room to find him fussing and sopping wet. This is an occurrence that has been happening more and more lately. On a side note, we've gone up a size in diapers but he still fills them up so fast. I guess it's all the fluids he's drinking in this hot weather. When I realized how wet Cale was I was kinda glad that it was me who got up instead of Carl. I don't think Carl would've realized Cale was lying in pee. He probably would've handed him a sippy of milk and bolted out of there back to bed! ;) Men! Sometimes I wonder how they could survive without women!

Well, by this morning, to Carl's luck, I had completely forgotton the leg nudging incident. But, I guess guilty Carl felt he must confess. He had heard Cale crying, nudged me several times because he thought I wasn't awake (and heaven forbid he get up in the middle of the night and take care of it!), and then pretended he'd been asleep the whole time he when I got mad, kicked him, and griped at him for not getting up! Just as I had thought! Men don't realize how lucky they are to have women! But just wait until Cale starts crying again in the middle of the night. I've got a few hard kicks I'm saving up for my dear husband! Or maybe I'll just push him out of the bed. We shall see! :)

Tonight was playdate night for Cale. Cale's buddy Bennett came over, along with his parents. We haven't hung out with the Olivers in awhile so it was good to get together. We opted for take out at our house this time, hoping to avoid any restaurant drama and give the boys a little extra playtime. It's so funny to watch Cale play with another child his own age. Everything was "mine" and things that are usually of absolutely no interest, suddenly became very enticing once in the hands of some competition. We got to see how selfish our little guy can be. But who can blame him? He's still is in the egocentric stage where he can't really understand that the world doesn't exactly revolve around him. And I don't think his daddy and I are doing him any favors in this area. Right now I think we are pretty much 100% wrapped up in Cale. But, I guess in February when the new little one comes along, things will be put into perspective for the "big brother". To tell you the truth, I almost feel a little sorry for him.

Cale is getting to the age where he knows how to get what he wants from us. Of course he still whines and throws fits and tries all of the usual tactics, but lately he's realizing that other strategies work quite well to get attention. He often lifts his arms up to me and says, "Hold you mommy, please", and what do I do? Well, hold him, of course. Works almost every, single, time. I threw that almost in there just to make myself not sound like such a softie. Yes, even when I'm cooking, cleaning, trying to dry my hair, or doing any other thing in which holding a 26 pound kid is completely ridiculus. Cale has also discovered how to say, "Boo boo, hurt". He had a really bad infection on his finger that actually began looking pretty rough. He got quite a lot of attention during that time because we knew it was very painful and that it was making him uncomfortable. Well, that finger has looked almost healed for days, but Cale keeps telling me how much his boo boo hurts. As if he doesn't get enough attention already. The other morning, he literally winced in pain, said, "Boo boo, hurts" and held up his finger. He held it up for about 10 seconds until he realized it was the WRONG finger. Nice try, Cale. Yeah, I think he's playing us for a little sympathy, wouldn't you say?

The bad thing is he cracks me up so much. Sometimes when he's doing his most mischievious/ornery things, we find him the funniest. The other night, Cale got upset because he wasn't getting his way. Imagine that. He put his head into the side of the couch and began bawling. Then, he looked up thoughtfully, and decided to take it a step further. He completely layed himself face down on the floor and bawled, because I guess standing with his head leaning against the couch crying wasn't quite as dramatic as throwing himself on the floor in a full out hissy fit. Carl and I just sat there and laughed and laughed. No, not out loud. We're not that awful! We just quietly chuckled as we watched our child trying one of his new attention-seeking, get-my-way (only occassionally successful), techniques. It's amazing to look back and see how much Cale has changed, even if sometimes he seems at his hardest stage. He is also at his most loveable, funny, and curious stage. He's just becoming such a little person, instead of a baby. He amazes me every single day.

I'm Still Up to My Strange Ways

A while back I devoted a blog to all of the strangeness that is my sleep pattern. I often do weird things in the night that I barely even remember. I guess I'm having some kind of awful nightmares, but the strange thing is I don't remember a thing from my dreams. Carl swears that several times a week I have these "episodes" (I'm sounding like a real mental case right about now, huh?) Just because I haven't blogged about it in quite some time, doesn't mean I'm not still up to my old ways.

So, the worst episode happened right after we moved into our new house. It was about 2:00 in the morning when I woke up yelling at Carl. He said that I was yelling, "Get him off of me, get him off of me!". Now, the weird thing is I have no idea what I was dreaming or thinking at this point, but I can remember the pressure of something big and long (like a really heavy snake) pushing down on me. I can remember flopping around trying to get it off of me, but it wouldn't budge. It was so real I almost still think something was there. Now, Carl was fast asleep and of course when he heard me yelling he jumped up. He said that all he could see was a dark silouette of someone sitting up on the bed. So, he ran over, thinking somebody was on top of me, and grabbed the person, about to throw him down off the bed. Luckily, when he grabbed the "person" by the neck, he realized it was only me. I was the one sitting up in bed. After griping at me for scaring him to death and telling me that I was lucky he didn't hurt me on accident, he went back to sleep and I sat there wondering what the heck kind of dream I must have been having! I guess it's a blessing that I don't remember anything specific.

Well, this kind of thing seriously happens a lot in our household. Sometimes it happens when Carl is still awake, which he prefers because then he doesn't get his sleep interrupted. Also, it freaks him out when he's awoken by my screaming or pulling on him. Poor Carl didn't know what he was getting into when he married me!

The other night, I remember waking up, running into the room where Carl was on the Playstation and telling him that two men were in our room. I had only been asleep for about 45 minutes at the time. By the time I repeated it to Carl, I realized that what I was saying didn't make sense and that I must have been dreaming. My pulse was racing so fast and hard that I could feel it, just standing there. So, I reluctantly went back to bed and actually slept the rest of the night.

Now, I'm really not someone who is scared of everything. I don't go to bed thinking awful scary thoughts or worrying about someone "getting" me. So, I have no idea where these outbursts come from. But, I know I must not be sleeping well, and maybe that's one reason, besides being pregnant, that I'm tired all the time. I would almost like to have some sleep studies done on me, in hopes to figure out what is wrong! But, I don't think I could sleep very comfortably knowing that there would be people behind the glass watching me. I'm betting that might make my nightmares worse!

August, please don't come so soon!

I can't believe that it's almost August! To most people the month of August probably doesn't mean much, but to a school teacher this is the most dreaded month of the entire year. The month where your other life begins again. The life that you sort of >forget about for a couple of months every summer. Over. Well, I guess I'm being a little dramatic because we still have a few weeks but it sure feels like the day is near. Don't get me wrong, I do like my job and I somewhat enjoy the structure and necessary routine of a work week. There is actually a small part of me that is excited about going back. But, mainly because for me, I associate the new school year with things like cooler weather, the pumpkin patch, holidays, etc. So, I realize in order to get to all of these things, school must begin.

I've been going up to my classroom on the days that Cale goes to the babysitter. So, I guess that's why I feel like school has pretty much started already. Every year it's the same thing. I get nervous about what my classroom of students will be like, nervous about the first day and all it's craziness, nervous about being a good teacher, just...nervous. I usually have some kind of dream a few nights before school begins. The dream always consists of a teacher's worst case scenario: kids being wild, crazy, loud, out of control, and not listening to a word I say. It scares me everytime and makes me wake up in a panic. But, luckily the first day is never that bad. Thank goodness I'm not a kindergarten teacher!

So a few weeks ago, I had one of those weeks. But, today I had one of those days, in a good way. We started the morning as always, watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in bed with our little man. As soon as he wakes up, the current ritual is to go get him and bring him into our bed for some toons. Then, we got around and went to McDonald's for breakfast...which was all good until Carl decided to look at the little sheet that tells the calories/fat grams in each item. After I heard that, I was rethinking those 1 1/2 bacon/egg/cheese biscuits I had just scarfed down, I mean nibbled on very lady-like! I shared half of one with Cale. I would have given him more, I really would have, but that was all he wanted. After that we came home and spent the rest of the day playing. Cale was in the best mood I can remember him being in for quite some time. First of all, he felt good, obviously, which makes a huge difference. Secondly, he took a 3 1/2 hour nap vs. his normal 1-1 1/2 hour nap. I have to admit, at hour 3...I was starting to get worried and thinking some pretty scary thoughts. But, he was fine of course. It's amazing how plenty of sleep can completely change a child's, or adult's, personality.

This afternoon we headed to Conway for some Chili's and Playworld. Knock on wood, Cale has been surprisingly good at restaurants lately. But, we've also discovered a trick that works wonderfully for Cale. He wasn't satisfied with us simply putting pieces of food, like chicken nuggets or bread, in front of him. He wants his own plate, some sort of dipping sauce, and a utensil...even though he's still not great with spoons/forks. So tonight, he got his own little bowl of cheese dip, which he used to his enjoyment to make a rather nice mess. But, I've discovered that a mess is better than screaming! He also got a plate full of my chicken strips and fries...which he played with more than ate...but I'm not complaining.

After dinner, was the big finale...Playworld! It was our first time to go to Playworld, but we'd heard all about it because my nieces have been several times. It was really awesome and I think Cale had the time of his little 18-month old life. If you haven't been you should really try it. It cost $5 for Cale to play, which I though was really reasonable compared to some of the other places I've heard about. The best part of the whole place is this huge maze that kids can climb through, but there's also a small play area with toddler equipment and lots of games for older kids. But, back to the maze. Cale was too little to go all by himself. So, Carl nominated me to go through with him because he thought he was "too heavy", great excuse, huh? So, I figured what the heck. It couldn't be too strenuous...I mean it's made for kids. Oh was I wrong. My pregnant self could barely make it to the end. And by the end, I was literally sore and hurting. Worse than a trip to the gym. You had to climb up, down, around and around...slide through tunnels, crawl under things, over things. It probably took us about 15 minutes to go through the entire thing. Yeah, it's really big.

I was struggling a little as we went, but managing. That is, until the reverse slide. It may not sound bad, but believe me...it's torture. There was this very long enclosed, slide that you had to climb up to get to the next part of the maze. Just a word of warning, if you take your kids, don't do that part. I let Cale go in front of me so that I could catch him if he fell...which he did about 10 times until he finally got the hang of it. The problem was that his momma couldn't quite get the hang of it. The slide was fairly narrow and there was no good way to pull yourself up. About half-way up my arms felt like jello and I seriously thought I wasn't going to make it. But, then I looked up and realized Cale was all the way to the top. So, I knew I had to make it...which was a bad feeling. Then I heard someone shout, "You better watch him because there's a fireman's pole and a big drop when you get to the top." So, I guess my motherly adrenaline kicked in because somehow I made it up that slide in time to catch Cale. I guess the visions of Cale tumbling down that hole gave me the extra push I needed. So, I was finally up the slide...problem solved. Wrong. There Cale and I sat, pondering how we would get down this pole. Well, I was pondering. Cale was just trying to pry himself from my arms so he could go, or more like plummet, to the bottom. The drop was much too high for me to just toss Cale down, or believe me...I would have. So, I kept attempting to slide down while holding him...but that was impossible and probably quite funny to watch. I was getting discouraged because I went to all that trouble to get up that darn slide and now we were going to have to slide back down. But, then a girl...probably around 8 years old came through. When she slid down the pole I asked her if I could hand Cale to her. The sweet little thing said yes, even though she probably didn't weigh that much more than Cale herself. So, after all the drama we made it through and found our way back out. Let's just say I strongly think, slides are meant to be slid down, not climbed up.

I told Carl that he had to go through at least one time with Cale, because I wanted him to see that it was no piece of cake. I know he thought I was a wimp when I came out of there so worn out...with my hair coming out of my ponytail and what I think was a slight limp. When Carl and Cale got to the reverse slide...Carl got stuck halfway and I laughed so hard I cried. He finally managed to pull himself up and slide down the pole with Cale. Afterwards, as he emerged, all sweaty, from the maze he told me he couldn't believe that I had actually made it up that slide. Ahhh, the feeling of vindication I felt in that moment!

But, all in all, it was the perfect night and Cale behaved like a perfect little guy. I'm sure it was the first of many trips to Playworld.

Horrible Mom Award

Okay, so I think I deserve the "horrible mom award" for the last week and a half. In my last post I complained about what a monster Cale had been last week. And believe me, he was. But, this week has been worse, way worse. I've been in a workshop in Beebe during the day for the past three days so I haven't been with Cale until 5:00 each evening. My mom took him to the doctor on Monday because he had a fever all weekend, complained that he "hurt", and was beginning to get noticeable bumps near his lips. Of course, he has mouth ulcers, which completely explain last week's behavior. I feel a little bad for complaining about him, poor thing couldn't help it. I had a bad experience with mouth ulcers in college and I must say it was the worst pain I've ever been in. (It would be childbirth, but thank you epidural!) So, I can only imagine what Cale feels like. He has about 3 on the inside of his bottom lip and has now began developing some on his tongue. He cries a large part of the day away, and the same goes for the night. The horrible thing about mouth ulcers is, they just have to run their course. (Which, in my case took about 2 weeks, and I'm praying that Cale's do not linger that long). He woke up about 4-5 times last night. I'm dreading what tonight will hold. There's nothing worse than listening to your baby scream, but not being able to make them stop. It's 9:00 and he already woke up about 30 minutes after falling asleep and is actually beginning to scream at the moment. Two times awake by 9:00...this is gonna be one long night.

I hate mouth ulcers!

It's Just Been One of Those Weeks!

Have you ever had one of those weeks that you just want to erase? A week that makes you want, no long, to go back to work where things are easy? I never thought work would seem like a relief! Well, that was my week. Oh, where to begin? Well, to start let's just say Dalebert was present all week long. And I don't mean a mild form of Dalebert-ishness here and there. Oh no, this has been, full-on Dalebert, almost 24/7 at his most horrifying yet. Guess Calebert took a vacation or some kind of leave, I don't know. All I know is that he must come back soon or I'm.going.to.go.crazy.

Cale has whined, cried, and thrown tantrums more this week than in his entire life put together. When I try to walk he's between my legs, when I try to cook he's pushing/pulling me backwards, when I try to do most anything he screams (which also involves lots of tears and throwing himself on the ground oh-so-dramatically). Thank heavens for the outdoors. That is the one thing that has saved us this week. He's typically content when outside, although today even running through the grass pushing his Cozy Coupe or riding his tractor just couldn't make things better. There was even a frog incident this morning. During a screaming fit, I frantically took Cale out to the back porch (because from experience, I've learned that this usually calms the storm quickly and rather painlessly...that is until time to go back inside in which the storm brews all over again) So, when we got outside we noticed our pet walking stick, whom we call Twiggy,was perched on the window. So, we headed over to give him a pet (he's been living on our back porch for a few weeks now) While checking him out, we noticed a frog had planted his slimy little self on our new patio furniture. Of course, Cale loved the frog, although he wouldn't think of touching it. Oh no, he wanted me to touch it. Now, I'll touch Twiggy the walking stick to humor my son (even though I don't particularly enjoy it), but for some reason I really didn't want to touch that frog. So, I decided I wouldn't give in. Cale pulled my arm, he tugged on my hand, he even forcefully got my fingers very close, but I wouldn't do it. Well, let's just say that saying "pick your battles wisely" applies here. I probably should have touched the stupid thing because the tantrum of all tantrums began. That was one of about 30 today. I'm not even kidding.

What's almost worse than the day time drama is the night time screaming. For some reason this week Cale has been waking up 2-3 times a night crying inconsolably. I get up, go in his room, try to make him feel better and he screams even harder, pushing my hands away and not letting me hold him. It was so bad one night, that (after getting up 3 times to try to calm Cale and being unsuccessful), the fourth time I got up and threw the baby monitor at the wall. I know, I know. I tell Carl that he can't hold me accountable for things I say and do in the middle of the night when Cale is having "one of those nights" and I'm not getting any sleep. (On a side note, it perturbs me just a bit that Carl can sleep through every minute of the screaming) Then, I went back to sleep only to wake up a few hours later feeling guilty wondering how long Cale cried after the monitor was off. Needless to say I turned it back on. Well, pretty much that same scenario has repeated itself all week long (well, besides the monitor-throwing thing...that only happened once, I promise!)

So, tomorrow Cale is going to his babysitter and I'm going shopping with my mom and sister. Let's just say I'm a little more than excited. A day off with something other than cleaning, grocery shopping, and cooking to do. I'm sure halfway through the day I will begin missing my little guy because no matter how difficult he seems sometimes, I love him to pieces and wouldn't trade him for the world. But, in those moments when I'm beginning to miss him I will just think back on the week's events. Events that I would rather just forget, but events that will probably occur many more times in Cale's young life. I guess I just need to toughen up. I mean, we still have the 'terrible twos' heading our way in about 6 months!

So, today has been a LONG day; a good day, but just tiring. After Cale woke up, we ate breakfast, got dressed, and then went to the park. Actually, we stopped by the bank to take daddy something he accidentally left, and then went to the park. Thankfully the weather has been a little cooler the past few days so the park was pretty enjoyable.

Now, a little side information. I had to take Cale to the doctor yesterday because he's been battling diarrhea for close to a month. So, since it's been such a long bout, they want to do some tests. Sound good? I thought so at first. I thought, "Good, maybe we can finally figure out what's causing this and get him back to normal. And I won't have to keep going through such an unbelievable amount of diapers." I do still think that, but the process just isn't too pleasant. These tests involve Cale, myself, and five tubes with little scraper shovels on the end of each lid. FIVE tubes. Yes, I've been having to collect...samples (shutter). And if you remember what I said Cale is suffering from, you probably realize that this is not the easiest thing to collect a sample of. It's near impossible. TMI, I know. Let's just say this is one of the most unpleasant experiences I've had as a mother. But, praise the Lord I've only got one more tube to fill! Woo hoo! Thank goodness I love Cale because I can't imagine doing this for another child. The whole point of that story is to say that Cale produced quite a nice sample at the park, wouldn't you know. So, being prepared with the tube (because I knew my usual luck with these sort of things), I did what I had to do. I just wonder what the car that pulled up next to me thought when they saw me bent over, scraping my son's diaper. I can only imagine. Weirdo.

Afterwards, we stopped in the beauty shop so that Cale could see his Mamaw. When we left, we took Cale's cousin Shelby home with us. Cale loves to play with her so he was pretty excited. Shelby stayed until about 2:00, then to Cale's disappointment went home. After dinner, we decided to take the boat out for a quick ride. Cale's only been out one time before, but he loved every minute of it. This time was no different. While the boat is moving is one of the only times that we get to enjoy Cale being "still". He just lays back in my lap and lets me love on him. That doesn't happen very often so I savor those moments.

After the boat ride, we finished the night off with Blizzards at Dairy Queen. The perfect end to a great evening.

A hungry, tired pregnant woman does not a happy home make!

My poor husband has been having to put up with a lot of...er...grumpiness lately. That's probably putting it mildly. I try to explain to him (almost daily) that he has no idea what I'm feeling, but I pretty sure he just hears the equivalent of Charlie Brown's teacher "wah, wah, wah...". He's getting used to my daily two-hour naps (I'm so ashamed to admit that, because I've never been a napper and usually get a lot accomplished while Cale naps. I don't think I napped even once when I was pregnant with Cale) but lately I just crash.

This afternoon, we had a neighborhood meeting with the other homeowners of Stonegate. We took Cale, which we knew was a mistake but...guess we're gluttons for punishment like that. Two hours later I was so worn out from chasing Cale all around that house, up the stairs, down the stairs, up the stairs, down the stairs, you get the picture. He never stopped except for about 15 minutes, when a train set captured his attention. The rest of the time, he was on the move and I was a nervous wreck. For some reason, he kept going into the people's master bedroom (people who we've only met once) and climbing up onto their bed and sprawling out like he owned the place. It was embarassing because everytime I took him off, he just kept going back! Also, he kept walking around with his hand down his pants...which is his new thing lately. I guess it's a boy thing.

I was so starving by the time we left the get-together. There was food, but I didn't eat any because Carl told me that I wasn't suppossed to bring anything...so I didn't. Then, I get there and everyone else had brought food. So, I was a little embarrassed to eat. When we left we headed, more like sped, down the mountain for good 'ole, "healthy", fast food. When we pulled into Arby's, I realized I had left my purse. And of course, Carl didn't have his cards. And of course, they wouldn't take checks. I felt my heart shatter and my stomach ache. Let me tell you, my emotional, hungry self just about started crying at this point. Carl was like, "What is wrong?" On the verge of tears I said, "I'm not going to get dinner!". Yeah, that's what being pregnant is like. Food, or lack thereof, is grounds for an emotional meltdown. Carl told me I was acting bipolar, but he just doesn't get it! So, we made the trip back up the mountain to get my purse and then I volunteered to go back down by myself to get the food. No, not because I'm just nice like that, but I knew I could eat in the car as soon as I got the food instead of having to wait until Carl got home with it. I thought I was dying by the time I got to Arby's. The 5-minute wait felt like an eternity. When the girl handed me the bag, she warned me that the fries were hot...but I didn't care. I think I had half the box scarfed down by the time I pulled out. Of course, by the time I got home, my food was gone and I was wishing I had another sandwich. I debated swiping some of Carl's food, but I knew he'd notice. But hey, at least I felt better. A full belly made me feel like a new woman. Well, at least for an hour or two until the next episode!

So tonight, we had the best dinner we've had in a long, long time. And I'm not talking about the food, although it was good. We ate at the fairly new Italian place in town, Joe's Pasta. We always put careful thought into our choice of eatery these days. While taste of food and cravings used to be on the top of the list, they have now fallen down a few notches behind characteristic such as, fast service and loud atmosphere. Ahhh, the joys of having a baby. So, we're always hesitant to take Cale to Italian places because they tend to be dark, quiet, and not too kid friendly. We tend to eat a lot of Mexican. To tell you the truth, Joe's was no different than your average quiet Italian place, but we decided to bravely try it at our own risk. (It helped that there were only 2 cars in the parking lot!) To our amazement, Cale was on his best behavior. It helped that mama came prepared with a little extra ammunition this time. I learned some tips from a friend. Cale's baby bag was full of pizza rolls, cinnamon toast crunch, toys, suckers, and, the lifesaver for the evening, fruit snacks (thanks Megon, such a great idea)! (All of which are unhealthy choices for a baby, I know, but you do what ya gotta do, especially when it comes to avoiding fits in public!) We got to enjoy the entire dinner with Cale in his high chair, which hasn't happened for a few months now. It was so nice!

After dinner, we headed over to the Visitor's Center to let Cale look at the fish and turtles. Of course, typical boy, he loved every minute of it. Afterwards, we walked over to the park, because these days anytime you ask Cale where we're going, his response is always "park". So, let's just say we go a lot. Walking seemed like a good idea on the way. But, by the time we were finished, we were so hot and sweaty that the walk back wasn't too fun. We saw one of my second graders (I guess third graders now, sniff sniff) while we were there. I love seeing my students outside of school. You don't realize you miss them until you see one of them! On the walk back, Cale tried to chase some geese, which actually let him get a little too close for my comfort. I thought they must be pretty friendly and tame, until I heard the loud hissing directed towards my too-curious-for-his-own-good son. Who knew I could scoop Cale up so quickly!

Now we're home. Bath has been given, books have been read, and our little guy is off to sleep. So Mom and dad are going to sit around and watch a movie and eat some popcorn. Just another typical Friday night.

Now comes the waiting game...

So, today was the big day. We officially found out we are pregnant again! We've unofficially (I say unofficially because even after 3 pregnancy tests and lots of symptoms, I still second guessed myself) known for about a month. We had planned to start trying this summer, in hopes of having a spring baby. But, I think there's no use in trying to plan things like this because plans always change. About a month ago, I decided to take a pregnancy test, not thinking I could possibly be pregnant at all because we hadn't even started "trying". But, it had been several months since my last period (which is fairly normal for an irregular person like myself) and I had started noticing a change in my stomach. Now, I had been working out fairly often and my eating habits hadn't changed so I was a little suspicious. My jaw dropped when I saw the plus. I think I was way more surpised this time than with Cale. I think Carl was more surpised than I was. So having no idea when we got pregnant, we were excited for our first appointment so that we could see how far along we were. But, of course the first available appointment was a month away.

So, we spent the last month wondering. To tell you the truth, I thought I was 12+ weeks along because it had been so long since my period. Also, I haven't been able to wear my wedding ring since March because all of the sudden it started giving me a bad rash that itches and swells. After making Carl promise he didn't get it out of a Cracker Jack box, I decided to just go without wearing it for awhile. After we found out we were pregnant, I started thinking maybe that had something to do with my rash. I looked it up online and sure enough lots of pregnant women have the same problem. Also, I had lots of weird arm and leg rashes last pregnancy. Once again we thought we must have been pregnant since March.

Lastly, my stomach is already getting bigger and I've already gained 4 pounds (I don't really know when the weight gain started, but I'm 4 pounds heavier than my normal weight) I mean, when I'm in a tight shirt, I actually look a little pregnant. I can barely button my pants and am thinking about making Carl go up into the attic (because that's what husbands are for) and get my belly bands out. So, once again, I was just sure I was at least 12 weeks along, probably more.

Well, I was shocked today to find out that I'm 7 weeks. Excited, but shocked! 7 weeks! That means I was like 3 weeks when I found out, which seems really early. And what the heck is up with my stomach? If my pants are barely fitting at 7 weeks, I can only imagine what I'll look like when I'm 9 months along.

I have to say, so far this pregnancy has been much harder than my first. I've been very nauseated and more tired than I ever imagined I could feel. I've been napping every day which is something I never do. I really mean never. When Cale's asleep I can barely make myself get up off the couch. It's really bad and all I can say is I'm so thankful I'm a teacher and have this time off. And the hunger. Oh the hunger. The past few weeks, I'm so ridiculously hungry that it's painful. I eat and eat (I know, I know...you're thinking, "Well that's why your pants won't fit!" But, I'm telling you, it's like a life or death situation when I feel hungry right now) and within an hour I'm hungry...no starving...no, so hungry I feel like I haven't eaten in a day! I'm actually not being sarcastic. I didn't know I could feel this starving, this often. I will actually be very glad when that symptom goes away...if it goes away. And if it doesn't, well let's just say I will be big!

All the whining aside, we are very excited to be pregnant again. Excited and nervous about having two kids. How do you take care of two? How do you give them attention and love equally? How do you rest when you have two? How do you go to dinner? (you probably don't very often?) But, I'm sure it all works out. Boy or girl, we really don't have much preference. Either one would be awesome!

Poop and Run

Well, I'm sure I should be working like crazy and accomplishing all the many chores that are weighing on my mind (since Cale is finally down for a nap), but as you can see, I'm not! Tomorrow is my day for the babysitter so I think I'll wait and do my cleaning then. What's one more day, right? Wow, I'm becoming a little more relaxed about my house since summer break began. Don't know what's wrong with me! I think I'm just getting tired of cleaning and Cale messing, cleaning more, and Cale messing more, you get the picture. I could spend my life trying to keep a perfect house, and it still wouldn't be. And I'm gradually becoming okay with that!

We just got back from Branson yesterday afternoon. We stayed 5 nights with my family and had a lot of fun. Cale especially loved playing with his two older nieces. But, he was pretty fussy during the trip. He had just started showing signs of a virus the morning we left (fussy, not interested in eating, and messy diapers). It seems like he has bad luck when it comes to trips. When we got to our condo, we quickly realized that there was an upstairs and we even more quickly reazlied that Cale was going to spend the entire time climbing them. The stairs were pretty steep and Cale was too short to hold onto the rail. Going up was no problem, it was the going down that about gave me a heart attack. We tried to teach him how to scoot down, but he decided he didn't have time for all of that. So, after a few falls, and many tears later, mom and dad went to Wal-Mart and got a baby gate. Thankfully I was able to relax the rest of the trip. That is, when Cale wasn't standing at the foot of the stairs crying at the gate, begging to go up!

So, one of my most embarrassing mom moments happened on this trip. The condo had a nice, big pool and Cale loved splashing around in it. They also had a zero entry baby pool with fountains that was Cale's favorite because he was able to run free without the constraints of "mom and dad". On about day 3, we took Cale to the pool once again. He wasn't really acting like himself. He wasn't "swimming" in the baby pool or getting under the fountains, he was just kinda standing there. I thought he was just tired with naptime being pushed back and his sleeping all out of whack. Then, suddenly I saw it. It was orangish brown and floating in the pool. It took me about 2 seconds to realize that it was coming from Cale. Yes, he'd pooped in his little swimmers and into the pool. Not to get too graphic, but it wasn't exactly the kind you can just scoop out. So, horrified, I pointed out the mess to my husband, and I think we were out of that pool and back to our car in about 30 seconds. Now, I know that may have been the wrong thing to do, fleeing the scene of the "accident", but I panicked. Needless to say, we didn't make any more trips back to the pool. Partly for fear of a repeat offense, but even more for fear of someone recognizing us as the "poopetrators" from the other day.

We had lots of fun but we were also very glad to be back home where things can be somewhat back to normal. As normal as things can be with an almost 18-month old.

Summer Vacation...Oh, How I've Longed For You

This week is my first official week of summer vacation. It's still a little hard to believe that I don't have to go to work, (well staying home with Cale is almost more work than my actual "job") until August. I've been enjoying the extra time with Cale so far...we've already made many trips to the park (every.single.day, actually) and we've spent hours playing in the dirt outside our house. Yes, I'll be very glad when all of the sod is completely laid and maybe Cale won't have so many mudholes to explore, dissect, and yes, even taste. Everytime we play outside Cale has to have a bath afterwards, so it's a little bit of a hastle! But, thanks to my dad, my bro-in-law, and Carl we now have an almost finished yard full of grass!

Cale and I have gone to VBS at our church the past 2 mornings which has been fun. Cale's been in the toddler room and I've been working in the craft room. VBS lasts from 9:30-12:00, so Cale has to make it until then before a nap. We've been experimenting with the one-nap thing. I say experimenting because it's been a bit of a struggle. I thought I would just let him keep taking 2 naps, even though the second one is usually a huge battle that sometimes (okay, oftentimes) ends up with Cale as the victor. But, lately the problem is that he's not ready for his 2nd nap until about 5:00, which is too late and just not practical for a naptime. So, I've toyed with the idea of one. The problem with one nap (there seems to be a problem with everything) is that Cale wakes up at about 6:30 most mornings and it's extremely hard for him to make it until noon without sleep. So, we're struggling but hopefully will get a pattern down. I don't think being a parent ever really gets any easier, the struggles just change and look a little different with each phase of a child's life.

We are going to Branson this week with my family. We're excited but also a little disappointed because we were planning to go to Florida *sigh*, but the oil...blah, blah, blah...you know the rest. At least Branson is a much shorter drive and we're very glad to not have to endure the 12-hour screaming, jump-through-hoops-just-to-make-him-stop-crying-even-if-it-involves-way-too-much-chocolate-coke-tickling-cartoon watching-food-in-general-mommy-acting-like-a-fool-and-climbing-to-the-backseat-making-way-too-many-stops-for-relief, torture with Cale. We're excited to get away for a few days and have some fun with the family! I just hope Cale feels good and I wish these stinkin' teeth would just come through already! They've made their presence known for months but just won't come out of hiding. Cowards. My finger has been painfully bitten many times because of those swollen knots. Yes, I'm angry at teeth. I'm ranting and raving about teeth. It seems strange, but it is what it is! I've also been angry at ears many times since I've had a child!

The Bot-Bot (this one belongs to his cousin Kenzie)

Our 'Out-of-Desperation' Sippy Cup Collection

What a weekend. Friday afternoon we found out Cale had another ear infection...which I had been suspecting for days. I'm getting pretty good at predicting specific sicknesses based on his behavior. Clingy to the point of wanting to be held constantly + whiney for no apparent reason + no appetite even on foods normally devoured + Dalebert transformation= ear infection for Cale. Also, the doctor said his infection had made his throat very red and sore plus he has 2 molars and a canine coming in. Nothing like good news to start a weekend! Saturday morning I had a garage sale at my brother and sister-in-law's house. Carl and I had to get up at 5:00 that morning which was brutal for a Saturday. Carl had to take our trailor full of stuff over and I stayed with Cale until he got back. Then, I headed over at about 6:00. Wouldn't you know the one time I have something, besides Cale, that forces me to get up early on a Saturday, Cale decides to sleep in. I mean like, unheard of, 8:00 late. I think he's slept until 8:00 maybe twice in his life and those times were a result of hours of wakefulness and screaming in the night. Oh, to sleep until 8:00. What was that like? How did that feel? It's a distant memory. No bags under my eyes, no, so sleepy I have to go to bed by 9:00. Oh, 8:00, maybe we'll meet again one day. I can dream.

The garage sale was pretty successful. We got rid of all of our big things and what little things were left we took to Marva. So, now we actually have room to park in our garage. You see some strange things at garage sales. A truckful of women...er...men...er...men wanting to be women and actually doing an okay job of playing the part, pulled up. It actually took me a few seconds to realize that they weren't just sweet older ladies. I guess taking horomone supplements can work wonders, if you wanna call it that. I knew they all looked rather...how do I describe it, amazon-ish, and a little unattractive at that. But, it wasn't until I started the conversation, that I knew. All in all, they were very friendly and actually contributed to my garage sale success. Yep, they're now the owners of a white bedspread that reminded one of them of Germany and some baby clothes and stuffed animals for their grandchildren.

I'm so glad to have that garage sale over. It's been hanging over my head each and every time I went into the garage. Cale is glad to have more room to play and drive his little cozy coupe around. I'm telling you, that kid manages to cause more trouble! He loves to sit on Carl's new lawn mower, aka tractor, and somehow he managed to turn the key just enough that the whole battery is dead now.

And mealtime, don't even get me started. Who knew toddlers were so hard to feed? Cale's eating situation is the worst now. He wants junk and more junk and it's hard to not give in. He knows where the cookies are and everytime I open the pantry he says "cookie" and doesn't stop. Literally he does-not-stop, until I give in shamefully and he gets one. Same goes for cheese and Coke. Everytime Carl or I have any Coke, Cale begs and begs for a drink. Forget water, milk, juice...he has a one track mind. He's also been very intersted in our coffee. We keep telling him it's hot (he's obsessed with things being hot and if something is even remotely warm he says "hot" and spits it out) Well, finally I got the idea to let him try some, knowing he would absolutely hate it. I mean, coffee is an acquired taste. It took me months to finally start liking it and probably a year before I trained myself to drink it black. So, one evening after my coffee had sufficiently cooled, past the point that I would even consider drinking it, I offered Cale a drink. I waited for the "yucky" face. I waited for it to be spit out. Instead, he said, "poffee" and tried to get more. I should've known. Now, not only does he ask for Coke but also "poffee".

He doesn't want to drink out of a sippy cup either. I've spent a small fortune on cups for him. I've tried every cup imaginable. My cabinet looks like the toddler cup section of Wal-Mart. We've got tractor sippy cups, sippy cups with handles, Mickey Mouse cups, cups with straws, short cups, tall cups, cups that resemble "big people" cups with straws,...you name it. Ever since I took his special "bot, bot" away...he barely drinks. Now I didn't take it away from him because he loves it, it just had a soft nipple that he was chewing through. And that cup is 7 bucks! We had already gone through 4. So, after toying with the idea for a few weeks, I finally threw the "bot bots" in the trash. I figured that after a few days Cale would adjust. I mean, it's just a cup. He can learn to love another, right? Cale's been an angry smurf ever since. He went from drinking about 30 ounces of milk/day to maybe 10 ounces. It worries me a little, but everyone keeps telling me that he'll drink when he's hungry. I don't think they know Cale. He's the most stubborn little boy ever. He's holding out and I think he still believes he'll win...but I'm not giving in. Even if most mornings when I walk in his room, the cup is lying outside the crib where he chunked it, and still pretty much full of the milk I put in it the night before. I'm telling you, he's so strong willed. I hope we're strong enough for him!