last week

Last Sunday the Kulps invited us to the Panthers game against Arizona.  On the 6th row (which was actually the first row just above the tunnel where the players (Arizona unfortunately) run into and out of.  The Panthers pulled out a victory that seemed unlikely in the first half and we had a fabulous time.  Thanks Kulps!

Then on Monday Adam and I had some grilled chicken salads that looked so yummy I had to take a picture of them. I love it when Caleigh squats like this... She has been standing on her own a lot lately (just for maybe 15-30 seconds at a time).  Often she stands there playing with a toy but in this case it looks like she is reading a magazine or the paper. While I am in the kitchen Caleigh will often play in 'her' cabinet which is the one we keep all of the tupperware in.  She enjoys taking every single item out of the cabinet and recently has started climbing into the cabinet.  She takes a little slide in this video but notice how she is fine and doesn't cry until I ask her if she is okay.  Hence the reason why we hold our breaths when she falls and wait to see if she is going to cry before making a peep.

all in a day's work...

Just some photos from one day last week -

Playing outside on a gorgeous day with her riding lion.

Kissing the baby... And spending plenty of time perfecting her favorite pasttime... opening the wipes container and pulling them all out!  

"Mom, I don't know who pulled out those wipes, I'm just sitting over here playing with this bag." "Well, ok mom, I was really just opening and closing the lid on the wipes container." "Ok, I'm guilty, you caught me in the act." "Now you really caught me... but I don't really care because I am actually pretty proud of myself."

Clearly it didn't happen this time but usually when I catch Caleigh doing something that she doesn't think she is supposed to she will jump a mile out of her skin when I say her name.  This time she is just so proud of herself.

smarty pants (at least we think so)

Caleigh will be 11 months tomorrow (I can't believe it - didn't I just do her 10 month update?) and this is SUCH a fun age.  It is so neat to watch her mind work and discover new things about the world everyday.  She just learned (maybe during the last week and a half) how to put things back in.  ("put in, Caleigh" - we've been saying that forever but she just started doing it!).  Watch...

Caleigh is also quite the budding reader.  Well, to clarify she actually doesn't read but she does spent lots of time sitting at her book pile and flipping through her picture books.  Here she is enjoying a classic...

In the past month (especially the past week) Caleigh has really taken to standing on her own.  She will often pull up to stand and then let go and play with whatever she is holding.  The most she can do is maybe 20 seconds... I still can't imagine her walking that soon though - she is just not a risk taker.  Caleigh is also very into handing us things ("thank you, Caleigh").  She is such a sweet little goose and we have absolutely LOVED these past 11 months - what a gift from God!

panthers game!

Adam and I went to the Panthers game on Sunday (sans Cals).  It was PERFECT football weather - beautiful clear blue skies - high of 64... and we got to see an excellent game! (Panthers 30, New Orleans Saints 7).

See what I mean - beautiful Sunday in Charlotte... It was a little chilly, as you can see we were in the last row... not the last row on the lower level but the last row in the whole stadium.  We actually had a great view of the game and it was awesome to not have anyone sitting behind us.  The negatives may have been the wind (cold!) and the 95 steps or more it took to reach our seats - my legs were burning and we were both a little out of breath each time.   The location of our seats reminds me of senior year in college when we FINALLY got to go to the UNC-Duke basketball game and where were our seats?  You guessed it - very last row touching the wall - although the air was not as brisk there - we were actually kind of suffocating and could literally touch the ceiling above us... and if I recall correctly we lost the game in the last minute or so.  Great memories!  I am going to try to find that picture and scan it in :)  does anyone have it?

funny bone

On Saturday night we had dinner at my parents' house and Caleigh was pretty moody - she started out by crying her eyes out when she sat down and put the first bite of food in her mouth (maybe she didn't like it? - who knows) and then she was fine for the rest of the meal.  At the end of the meal Karen started throwing Yasmin's food to her (Yasmin is my parents black lab/boxer mix) and Yasmin was jumping all over the place and catching it in her mouth.  Caleigh must have gotten her funny bone tickled because she laughed hysterically for at least 5 or 10 minutes.  We were able to catch some of it on video!  It was seriously the hardest I have ever heard her laugh.

playdate with maggie

Yesterday we spent some fun time hanging out with Carrie, Maggie, and Henry.  Caleigh and Maggie had a blast together as usual and I captured some of it on video...

more hair...

Caleigh's first hair sprout...

walking and waving

Such a cute video.  Caleigh is still at around the same stage of cruising and she does enjoy walking with her lion - though I can't say that it looks very natural for her.  

Once again - check out the hair... sometimes it has a life of its own!

henry's debut

Welcome to the world Henry Lewis Dirks!  8 lb 12 oz and very punctual - he arrived on his due date.  Congratulations Dirks!  (This baby could never be one of ours - look at the dark hair!)

Group picture, outtake #3.  Maggie is cheering in an effort to get a picture without her thumb in her mouth and in all the commotion Caleigh is very concerned about what is happening behind her. The men and their sons - well Adam only has Elmo for now... maybe a male heir one day.

nice hair

at the park

We love living close to so many parks in Charlotte and the fall weather has been so beautiful that we have spent a lot of time there!  Here are some pictures of Caleigh playing.

Mom, don't interrupt me - can't you see how busy I am?

Actually I think I am going to just head on out of here. But wait, how do I get out? Oh, maybe it is this way.

not yo momma's bath time

Caleigh loves her bathtime and it is a necessity after meals.  Caleigh is into raising everything over her head right now: her bottle when she is done with it, her silky (as seen in the previous post while playing peek-a-boo with herself), keys, toys, etc... This trend has continued into the bath tub and so she spends a good bit of the bath accidently rinsing herself.  So cute!

So excited! Caleigh is also into dropping things right now.  This is especially unfortunate when I walk to my car carrying at least 5 bags and Caleigh and I give her my keys to play with... not a great scene when I have to put everything and everyone down to pick up the keys that she dropped.  You think I would have learned. :)  She is into dropping food off of her tray when she is done with it (not allowed by the way), dropping toys, and getting bath toys out of her way...

Caleigh is also mesmerized by the water - she is a little confused as to why she can't grab it.  Notice the tongue out while she is concentrating - she has also been doing that a lot lately.  For no reason she will just stick her tongue all the way out.  The phases and stages she has gone through are so fun!