Thought I'd share the video I gave Wes for Christmas...

Party!

We've been partying this weekend! Caleb's birthday is next Saturday, December 19th, but because he was born 6 days before Christmas we decided to celebrate a little early.
I like to host parties. I REALLY like to think about them and come up with ideas. I really think them and research ideas to death - this DOES NOT mean that I am good at it, but I'm just saying I like to host them. So, when I started thinking about Caleb's first birthday I figured it would be best to invite family and a few close friends. I decided that Wes's parents house would be a great place to have it so it would be closer to family and they have one of the prettiest yards I've ever seen! When I tell you that I like to think about party ideas, I'm not kidding. I checked the farmer's almanac for the December forcast in Dothan around September or so. The average temperature for Dothan in December is around 55 degrees and my thinking was it really doesn't rain that much, maybe we'll get lucky. Well, sometimes it does rain! I mean, sometimes the bottom falls out ALL DAY LONG and it is COLD - Really cold!! That was the way it went on Saturday. Of course I was bummed, but I knew Caleb wouldn't care so I decided it didn't matter. We had the party in the garage, and had one happy little birthday boy and family and friends and cake and balloons to celebrate.
I sure do LOVE that little boy more than I could have ever imagined!

Thanksgiving

I am behind, but I didn't want to skip over Thanksgiving. We spent Thanksgiving in Hartselle. It was great! Wild (7 kids under 6), but REALLY fun!
I realize I am so underserving to be so blessed. I have lots and lots of reasons to be thankful. I am the most thankful for Jesus that He loves me so much that He came to save me from all of my sins and I thank Him for all of my blessings! I feel especially thankful for this year for our family (the Browns and the Harpers- I understand a little better this year how loved we really are because of how much we love Caleb. Our families are so special to us, and I'm so thankful we get to see everyone pretty often too considering we don't live very close to any of them), our health (something I have really taken for granted in the past, but I've heard so many stories lately of babies born sick and young people with cancer - Thank you Lord for our health!) I am especially thankful this year for Wes's job (we don't take it for granted and I am so thankful he is able to provide for us - especially in a year that SO MANY good, hard working people are unemployed and LOTS of those people are in the construction field.) I am so thankful for the opportunity to stay at home with Caleb. I'm thankful for good friends old and new. I could go on and on- it's been an especially great year! My prayer is that I am thankful in all circumstances even when every year is not as rosey posey as this one. Some pictures...
GMama with C on Thanksgiving

Ashley & Sawyer
Aunt Angela came to see us Thanksgiving afternoon. :)
Although you can't tell it from the pictures. Wes was there too :). >

Last weekend we went here with these sweet folks
while this precious family took good care of our little guy...
Thanks so much Nana & Poppy for our fun weekend and to Aunt Jen, Uncle Ron, H.B. and Carson taking such good care of Caleb!

Catch Up

We've been having a great few weeks, but I didn't want to post earlier without pictures so here is the long recap... Eli's Birthday party was a hit!! My mom has always made a REALLY BIG DEAL out of birthdays and it seems Ashley got the gene! She is 100% school teacher and did not miss a detail of sweet Eli's birthday! I think everyone had a great time. He had a barnyard theme. She served pigs in a blanket, haystacks, animal crackers and the cutest cow cake I've ever seen! She even MADE a bean bag toss. She had lots of games to keep everyone entertained - I was WAY IMPRESSED - can you tell?? She strives to make everything special for her kids in lots of ways (not just their birthdays). I admire that and hope to do the same. Maybe Eli didn't appreciate all that his mama was doing for him, but Sawyer sure did! I spent the week before the party with them and Sawyer loved gettng ready for Eli's party :)! On Tuesday, October 26 Caleb started walking! He was taking steps between the two of us and decided there was a lot more he'd like to check out and just walked off. I managed to get some of his first steps on video...





He has walking down now and walks everywhere. He is really getting more fun every day! You can tell by the drool on his face/chest/everywhere in the video that he has also been cutting teeth - whew! Teething has been wearing us all out! He got 4 teeth in 2 weeks.

Caleb wasn't feeling very well on Halloween (that dang teething got him again that night). I went to put his costume on him and it was too small! I thought I'd try and get one picture, but he was was not thrilled.
We did manage to make it to the Peanut Festival that night with Nana & Poppy. It was cold so we bundled up...

He got a second haircut, too. It's much shorter. The sweet lady who cut it was having fun playing dress up and decided to give him a spike. Before and after pictures...

We went to Auburn last weekend for homecoming. Wes's good friend, Justin, is getting married and we went to a tailgate shower for them. The weather could not have been better and Ashley & Eli decided to join us. We didn't make it to the ballgame because we were perfectly content playing on the grass in front of the library. I would say Cabub and Eli's first Auburn exerience was definitely positive :)!!

Wes has taught Caleb to make a 'mean face'. This is it in action. He wrinkles his nose and huffs and puffs pretty strong. He does it all the time -
And I might as well show you just 2 more since he was dressed up for church...

Okay - That's it. Have a great weekend!

New Pictures

Sorry that it's been awhile. I haven't disappeared. I'm just way behind. I left the cord for my camera at Ashley's a couple of weeks ago, and I don't like to update without pictures. I hope to be back shortly with some of the 150 pictures on my camera (it's been a big few weeks around here). In the meantime, I got Caleb's pictures made if you want to check them out here. Click on Clients and enter the password Caleb.

We had a great weekend (besides that Auburn game)! The weather finally started to feel like fall on Friday afternoon, and we've had sunny skies and cool air. It's been so nice, and we've been trying to make the most of it. Caleb and I went to a Halloween party on Friday. Although it was cooler than it has been, it was still not nearly cool enough for the heavy costume I had for him. What was I thinking when I bought a costume that feels like a heavy coat?? Oh well, it didn't matter a bit. Ashley made him a Halloween shirt and he was just as cute in it.

Here is our attempt at a group picture :)

Tami and Rykar -

Saturday morning Wes played golf, and Caleb and I met some friends and went to a fall festival. They had goats, a pony and horses. Caleb LOVED the animals! We went on a hayride and I took lots of pictures of Cabub and his buddies in the pumpkin patch. (It was Seaside Stables for anyone interested and everything we did was free.)

He could have stayed right there all day! He loved the horses and goats!




With his buddies, Rykar & Henry.

After that, we met Wes and went to a birthday party at Pump It Up. They have LOTS of inflateables. Caleb really wished he could have kept up with the other kids! He did get to go down the slide and jumped around a little. He was just happy staring at the disco ball.

I guess all that fun has worn him out. He woke up at 2:00 Sunday morning crying (which he hasn't done in months) and was up about an hour. His voice sounded kind of hoarse, and had a little cough. We stayed home and didn't go to church :(, but now he's sounding okay and seems like he feels fine - who knows? We took it easy and stayed inside all day. Hopefully he'll be back to 100% today. Hope you had a great weekend too!

First Haircut

Caleb got a new 'do today to go with his the four new teeth he's been cutting lately. Our sweet friend, Leah, trimmed his hair this afternoon. She was very patient with us - he kept turning his head wondering what she was doing and wondering about those scissors in her hands. He was beginnig to look a little scruffy. I love it!! I could eat him up! He looks like somebody loves him again!! :)

Thank you, thank you, thank you Leah!! Not sure what to think about this?!? Ta Da! The finished look!

This was his hair this morning...
And here he is this afternoon...

Update on Caroline

Katie updated her blog with an update on Caroline!! PRAISE THE LORD!! He is so good and so faithful!! You can read the update here. :)

9 Months Old

Caleb went for his 9 month checkup on Wednesday. I can't get over how much he is changing lately. It blows my mind! He took his first steps a couple of weeks ago (9/17 to be exact). I can tell he is getting braver everyday. He is losing interest in baby food and wants to eat whatever we are eating. He weighs 19 lbs. 8 oz. (almost the 50th percentile) and is 27 1/2" long (the 25th percentile). His hair has taken off and has a mind of its own. A nice lady at Target told me yesterday he looked like he'd stuck his finger in a light socket (thanks a lot) and I'd just tamed it before we left the house. I don't have any pictures that really do it justice, but I will be sure to capture it soon :). A few new pictures...

Eating mac and cheese for the first time while we were in Hartselle.

Update

I'm in Birmingham typing this from the waiting room at UAB. Caroline is out of surgery and in the pediatric intensive care unit recovering.
The surgery went well, as expected.
We've had an opportunity to visit briefly with her and meet and speak to the cardiologist, and now Katie and Scott are spending more quality time with Caroline.

They intend to update their own blog - link below - when they finish visiting with Caroline.

http://www.appreciatinghisblessings.com

Just wanted to update everyone. Thanks for your phone calls and prayers.

The time has come

for Caroline's surgery. Little bit will have her heart surgery on Tuesday. Ashley & I are headed up to Hartselle on Monday morning so we can be with our family and help out however we can. It is expected to be a five hour surgery. Katie, Scott and Caroline are supposed to be in Birmingham at noon on Monday to check in. They have an amazing faith and fully trust that the Lord is going to take care of their precious girl. I know He is, and they are doing all they can to take the best possible care of her. Katie told Caroline on Wednesday that next week her heart is going to be fixed :)!! It's amazing. You can read more about the Braddocks story on Katie's blog. Please pray! Thanks!!