easter weekend 2009

Caleigh started off her Easter weekend with an Easter basket (bucket) from Gammy and Grandpa.  She loved all of her treats except her Dale Earnhardt coloring book - or maybe it was her mommy that didn't love that - just kidding...  Caleigh spent much time of Friday opening and closing and organizing all of the plastic eggs. (and every day since then)

On Saturday we went to the Uptown Easter Egg Extravaganza - I look forward to this event every year!  It is a great outreach and fun to see so many kids in one place at one time.  Thankfully the egg-hunting spots are divided by age and Caleigh was in the 0-3 age group.  Here she is preparing herself to find the golden ticket. And a video of her in action...

Once she got out there she panicked and focused on opening one or two eggs. Looking through her stash... Mass of people... Family photo op... And then Saturday night we headed down to the Adams' house to do some more egg hunting and to enjoy a fabulous Easter dinner.  Karen hid the eggs for Caleigh and after some encouragement she got into the egg hunting spirit. With her Gigi and Pop-pop... In action with a basketful... And then on Sunday it was a gorgeous day for worshipping the Risen King.  But this is not a gorgeous family picture.  A couple of questions: 1. Do I look tired? 2. Does Caleigh look happy?

This might really be the worst Easter picture ever - at least Adam looks good in it. Next year I will have to take more pictures of Caleigh in her Easter dress and we will have to do it before church (ie before she is starving and exhausted).  We did enjoy a picnic lunch of Bojangles in the grass in front of our condo building after church.  All in all a good Easter weekend!

new Brad Paisley song

I absolutely love Brad Paisley's new song: Then

I love the lyrics - it talks about how he thought he loved his wife when he first met her and how much his love has grown and how he loves her so much more now.

16.5 month update

I probably won't do another Caleigh update until she is 18 months (her next MD appointment) and really close to my due date, so I wanted to do one now.  Caleigh amazes us - she really does.  She seems like such a small and compact little person and seems too little to be able to understand all that she does... She really understands most of what we say to her.

• *Naps: We are working again on dropping the first nap - since our last post on this she has been napping twice on most days but for about the last week or so she is down to one nap again.  She did 2 days of 30 minute morning naps and then no nap on her own (instead she just had playtime in her crib)... Our current problem with the one nap is that she will sleep hard for about 45 minutes or 1 hour and then wake up screaming - after you go in and comfort her she is back asleep for another hour or so.  We are working on napping 1-3:30 without waking and she is doing it as I write this.  Maybe the waking is from teething...
• *Teething: Caleigh is getting some big, fat molars and has been working on getting them for quite some time.  It is really impossible to look in her mouth but I can feel them just below the surface... shouldn't be long now.
• *Eating: Caleigh has been eating on her own plate for quite some time (13 or 14 months) and drinking out of a cup with a straw with no problems (since probably 13 or 14 months).  We have recently started giving her a fork and/or spoon at meals that require them and it is a messy task.  She loves it but rarely gets food on the utensil, up to her mouth, and into it.  She does better with a fork but often food falls off the second before it enters her mouth.
• *Talking: I doubt I can list the words that Caleigh will say... most times when we say, "Caleigh, can you say ____" she will repeat most anything.  The exception is mama.  She still won't say it - she just calls me dada in a higher pitched voice.  Lately she has started saying help, more, thank you, love you, diaper, cold, hot, snack, tv (she says that alot even though she hardly ever watches it), open, dirty, plus all the other words she has been saying for a while.

One funny thing Caleigh has started doing lately is saying uh-oh when she has pooped her diaper.  It took us so long to figure out this is what she meant.  She has known the meaning of uh-oh and said it properly for 3 months or so but in the last 2 weeks she had started saying uh-oh when she hadn't dropped anything.  We would go get her up in the mornings and say 'uh-oh' as soon as you walk in her room but there would be nothing dropped outside her crib.  Then last Sunday on the way to lifegroup she said uh-oh for no reason again... when we got to lifegroup we realized she had pooped in her diaper and even since then every time she says uh-oh for no real reason it is always because she has pooped.  She also says it when she pees in the bathtub and every time I get worried that she pooped in the bathtub but gladly that hasn't happened yet.  She has also started grabbing her diaper when it is full so I really feel like she is starting to notice its discomfort.  I wasn't planning on potty training until this time next year so I hope this isn't any type of early indicator...  It seems so smart of her to realize all of this and to find a way to verbalize it.

Discipline update:

We have just gone through a season (last 2-3 weeks) that have been really difficult discipline-wise.  Caleigh has been disobeying a lot and it has been a struggle for us to figure out what to focus on for right now and what to let go for the time being.  The biggest thing we are still working on is, "Caleigh, come to Mama (or Dada)" and often she will smile and turn in the other direction and walk away.  We only hand pop/ spank for direct disobedience and hand pops haven't been working lately so we have been resorting to spanking at times.  It is so hard (emotionally) to spank her.  I feel the attack of the devil so often in it - questioning/doubting that I am doing the right thing...  I have been praying lately for wisdom in knowing what to discipline, perseverance and persistence to be obedient to God to discipline her, and hope/encouragement that I am doing the right thing.  It is so obvious to me that "Folly is bound of in the heart of a child..." Prov 22:15a - especially when I see how (at times) she delights to disobey and thinks it is funny... it is harder for me to believe that the second half of that verse is true, that "the rod of discipline will drive it far from him." Prov 22:15b.  Also I know that if I love Caleigh I will discipline her, "He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him." Prov. 13:24 

caleigh's first (real) haircut!

Caleigh's hair was getting really long in the back only again and instead of attempting to do it myself we went and got her first haircut!  I mean I can only do straight across and I can't even do that very well.  I asked for a little bob with it slightly stacked in the back and a little longer in the front (and no bangs!).  I was wondering how Caleigh would even do getting up in the chairs, but as they are equipped with steering wheels (which are some of her favorite things at the park these days) she loved it.

The lady cutting her hair did a fabulous job and Caleigh was extremely still and happy the whole time. And she did a little french braid in the front just for some cute pictures - it looked super cute... I am going to have to learn how to do that. Riding in the taxi was so much fun that Caleigh wanted to try out all of the other cars/ chairs.  We decided on one and she hopped up in the police car.  Here she is showing off her 'cheese' smile. Caleigh was in a great mood and loved every minute of getting her hair cut.  They did an awesome job and so we will probably go back (even though it is pretty expensive).  Her hair really does look adorable.  What a fun experience!

discovery place with the kulps

On Wednesday, we headed to Discovery Place with the Kulps (since our usual Wed. AM bible study was cancelled due to spring break week).  Caleigh loved the under 6 year old room and especially the water table.  Unfortunately she was too small for the big water smocks so she sported this measly bib which did nothing to keep her dry.  She was absolutely soaked by the time we went on to the next exhibit.

A fun shot of her and Milla playing together. Caleigh loved this room - she also loved looking at the big bears... When you ask her what a bear says she says Mmmmm ("No Caleigh, that is what a cow says")... animal noises are a little confusing.  She also loved looking at the fish and pointing to them all and babbling away in a language I couldn't understand.  We had a great time and a great morning there!  A family pass is definitely in our future.  Thanks Kulps!

NCAA 2009 Champs!

Let's start with the most important news: I won our lifegroup online bracket.  I was hoping to win the cool million from yahoo.com but I still haven't heard back yet.  I picked Michigan State and UNC in the final 2 with UNC winning.  Genius.  We were so excited with the Final Four win on Saturday night that Caleigh sported her cheerleading outfit at church on Sunday.

Then she wore it again Monday just to show her team spirit for the big game. On Monday night after she was in bed (and typically I would have been too - the game started at 9:20 pm!) we settled in for the big game.  Adam partook of a UNC tradition: blue cups.  Only I'm positive that when we did it in college there was not a Better Homes and Gardens magazine in the background (which I don't read, just to make that clear - I still haven't figured out why I get those).  And then victory was sure by around midnight on Monday night/ Tuesday morning.  GO HEELS!!!  

finger painting

Last weekend Caleigh made her first attempt at finger-painting.  As a girl who doesn't like to be dirty, she wasn't so sure of it at first...

What is this stuff on my hands? Yikes, Mom, I'm all messy... Well I guess if I clap my hands -  it will be a little more fun... Action shot... Yay, that was fun... Thinking about her drawing... (love this picture!) I was actually impressed by how easily the paint came off of everything and of her.  It was a fun experience, even though I did it mostly for the pictures.

fun with flour at gigi and pop-pops

Caleigh had fun playing with flour last Friday at her Gigi and Pop-pops while we went to a doctor's appointment...

Pretty impressive from the girl who doesn't like to be dirty.  Thanks Gigi and Pop-pop for a great day!

church retreat 2009

We packed up last weekend for the second weekend in a row and headed to Black Mountain, NC for our church retreat.  We had a great time learning about archaeology and how it illumines the Bible from Dr. John Currid.  We also enjoyed some great times of fellowship with friends.

A pre-retreat visit to a dine-in Pizza Hut... 

Caleigh enjoying a meal in a big girl chair in our room... On Saturday we had a hoe down - here is a shot of Adam and I in action... 2 matching preggo's... On Saturday afternoon we braved the rain (only for a few minutes) for some outside playtime... We all came back from the retreat with colds but had a good time overall.

classic fairhaven trip!

Last weekend we packed up and headed for the hills... the hills of Roan Mountain, TN to be exact.  We had a fabulous time at Fairhaven with the Dirks!  It was mostly uneventful (except for some feisty games of Settlers) and super relaxing (think books and 1000 piece puzzles).  We loved hanging out with our friends - what a blessing from the Lord.  We only took a few token pictures on this trip...

Here we have the classic "I took it myself" picture of Adam

A classic picture of the girls playing on the 'Funhaven' in a little pint sized tire swing. 2 classic daddy-daughter pictures. And the most beloved... a classic self-time picture... Note the branch obstructing Adam's face, Caleigh looking appropriately squashed, Maggie focusing on the mud pile she had to leave behind, and a surprised-looking Dirks couple. We tried to get the waterfall in the background of this pic but as you can see it is just nature.  Can't wait for next time!

funny bone

Caleigh has been getting her funny bone tickled lately... she is so cute when she is laughing!

6 months!

My belly at 26.5 weeks!  Sometimes it is hard to believe I am only 26ish weeks, but when I think about that meaning that I have only 13 weeks left, I can't believe it.  13 weeks doesn't sound like very long at all before Andrew arrives. 

We had a check-up on Thursday and everything looked great.  His heart rate was about 130 which is so much slower than Caleigh's was (170).  The doctor said all he could hear when he was trying to find the heartbeat was how much Andrew was moving around.  That boy is so active!  I am feeling enormous but these monthly pictures always reassure me.  When I see myself in the photograph I don't think I look that big.  I feel like there is no way I can possibly get any bigger - but I will... 

In about 2 weeks I will have my glucose test and another ultrasound to make sure my placenta is not as low as it was during the 18 week ultrasound.  Please pray with us for a continued healthy pregnancy and that Andrew will continue to grow and thrive in my womb.

happy birthday maggie!

Last weekend Maggie turned 2!  I had to work, but Adam took Caleigh to Maggie's birthday party at Chick-Fil-A and he captured this adorable picture of them. 

Happy Birthday Mags - we can't believe you are 2!