Caleb's Cute Quotes

Both of these are from this morning, and I couldn't risk waiting for time to blog, so I'm MAKING time!

"Your tummy used to be Declan's office!"

"I have a machine that will clean. It will clean everything in the whole world. Except heaven. God can clean heaven."

Man, he's adorable!

Ups and downs...

First, the biggest up: my boys got bunk beds! (Technically, that's an up AND down - get it? A bunk bed joke!) They are so deliriously happy! And the transition for Gavi from the crib to the bed was a joke. I was talking it up for so long, and he didn't have a single issue. Of course, he'd been crawling in and out of the crib for about six months, so it certainly wasn't an issue of being trapped vs. being free! And Caleb took to the top bunk like a champ. I was a little worried of his tentativeness coming into play, but he hauled his little bottom up that ladder and made me proud. Gavi followed immediately after, but so far, we're having great luck with them staying in their own beds to sleep - Gavi goes to Caleb's bed when they wake up in the morning, just like he did before.

My favorite quote the first night was Gavi shouting at Caleb that it wasn't HIS bed, it was Grandpa's bed! Yes, Grandpa brought them, set them up, and helped me take our old bed to storage. He didn't build them, but he did adapt used ones to be safe. (Which I'm not sure was entirely necessary, but better to be safe than sorry.) Now it's impossible for them to fall out of either bunk, and it has a ladder. The old occupants just climbed up the footrail, but since Caleb is significantly younger than those boys were, Grandpa made it more easily accessible. I'm probably going to have to discourage the climbing of the footrail. As soon as they discover it, it will be one more jungle gym for them!

The down news to go along with Grandpa's awesome bunk beds is that Grandpa and Grandma Garmane have been stationed at Edwards AFB for about a year. Not cool. To be honest, I don't think they would have minded so much leaving Meg, Jon and I if it weren't for those three cute grandboys. But they'll be able to come back every few months to visit for a couple weeks, so it still won't be too bad. (But my heart says, I haven't gone three months without seeing my mommy in over a decade!)

Declan is now sleeping in the crib. We sent the cradle to live with Baby Girl Rothe. Those are both ups.

The down of THAT side is that Dex rarely SLEEPS! He's fallen into the curse of my boys' lack of sleep. I did Babywise until I was blue in the face, and knew at three months that there is something in my kids' nature that overcomes the nurturing routine I have him on. He still rarely sleeps more than four hours in a row at night - which he was doing better than at two months. I kid you not. I have switched to formula - high fat - and giving him cereal a couple hours before bedtime, and he still wakes up screaming his tiny head off. (That head is getting bigger, though - he's becoming quite the little chunk!)

I'm not even talking to my neighbor right now, because I can't give her the opportunity to have a problem with the noise or I'll CRY. Not kidding. Chances are, she can't hear him - or Gavi, when he does the same thing still - but I can't risk her saying something. It's poopy, because I really miss her!

The even DOWNER side of that is that I can't get enough sleep to stay healthy. I'm managing to stay sane just with a sheer infusion of caffeine, but my health is deteriorating. I've had a stupid infection in my tooth for over a month now that just won't heal. I had to finally declare a sick day on Sunday and take two naps during the day to try to get caught up just a tiny bit. I'm drinking water like crazy, and chowing on fruits and veggies to make sure I'm getting every kind of nutrient I need, and exercising multiple times a week, but I'm still weak and whiny. I need sleep!
Dex is now sitting up! And instead of crawling, he gets up to his hands and knees, walks his knees as far forward as they'll go, then collapses forward and starts again. It's SO cute! He also likes to get up to his feet from a crawling position and walk them almost to his hands. He just can't move those arms yet. But I suspect he'll be walking as early as Gavi was.

I'm starting the process of POSSIBLY finding Caleb a preschool. I don't really LIKE the idea, especially since the one across the street from us is five days a week. However, I do feel like he needs a chance to get prepared for school without his little brother always being an issue. I know how smart he is without my even trying, and he's super-socialized thanks to MOPS and the gym and all our playdates, but he never has any structure. That's where my argument against preschool falls apart. My whole thought was, "I'm staying home from work so that I can be with my kids - so why would I send him to school a whole year earlier than I need to?" (I'm not a home-schooler, y'all. Don't want to hear the arguments for it, honestly.) But hearing moms talk about how educationally advanced kindergarten is these days makes me a little nervous. One gal at my table was talking about how her kindergartener JOURNALS every night. What the crap?

Anyway, they're pretty small downs in an overall UP life. (Love the movie Up, by the way. Except for the old guy trying to push the kid out of the blimp, which of course is the scene Caleb is fixated on.) God is SO good to me and mine, and he is faithful in every little thing. I trust him that my children will sleep before I die of exhaustion, and if that's my biggest complaint in life, I am truly blessed. REALLY!

Love blogging!

Six hours after I posted my last entry, everything was different! Imagine what I would have missed had I not made a conscious effort to note what was going on!

Declan was able to lift his head on his hands and knees THAT NIGHT! He's still only making tentative forward motion with his knees before his arms collapse, but I imagine it's tough losing that fifth anchor of the head! He's SO cute! He'll just go up on hands and knees and rock there and giggle. He's also really working on making sounds. His big one now is this weird coughing bark, which sounds terrible, but it's super cute!

Gavi loves Declan so much that we have to watch him! But one sweet thing was a couple of days ago, Gavi and Dex and I were reading an animal book while Caleb watched tv. (I don't let my kids watch a lot of tv, but Gavi isn't interested at all. My mom is like "yay!" while I'm like "dang it, I need a smidge o' time to myself to get some STUFF done! WATCH THE MAGIC BOX!") Anyway, we were reading books when Gavi got up and grabbed a sheet off of Caleb's bed, placed it gently over Declan's back, then brought up all the edges so Declan was completely covered about four times with the sheet. And we generally have a rule that Gavi can't put anything on him because I'm so scared of him covering his head, but he didn't even go CLOSE to his head! Sweet boy.

Anyway, the sweetest part was when he then patted Declan's back, said, "Otay, sweet bay-bee. You doe to sweep. I here. I here." My mom heart just about melted!

We're working on a puzzle now, I got a break to blog while Caleb went potty. But we've had a great morning with Caleb's creativity. We built a lego racetrack this morning! It could have been far more impressive had we had another package of legos!

Happy Febs!

So much of my time is spent out of my house ~ making my kids run around and keeping them from being shut up in our tiny place ~ that when I do have some time at home, I’ve got so much to do that I’m not up for blogging.

BUT! It’s time to get back on the wagon so that I remember these years! First off, Declan. He is fifteen whole pounds! HOORAY! That puts him in about the fifteenth percentile, which is significantly better than the fifth he was in three weeks ago! I never had such a teeny baby. Caleb was in six month clothes by two months, and twelve month clothes by four. HA! He’s also really, really working on crawling – he’s up on his hands and knees, but can’t get his head up, so he kind of scootches with his noggin on the floor. It’s adorable. He’s still just the most precious peach I ever saw!

Gavi Z: Also precious, with a healthy dose of TWO thrown in! His vocabulary is amazing. He has language for everything that he wants to say. My biggest problem comes in his contrariness. “I want applesauce!” “How do you ask for applesauce?” “Pwease may I have some applesauce?” I put it in front of him. “NO! NO NO NO NO NO NO! I don’t want applesauce!” It’s like, seriously! You JUST asked for it! I can have it on the table when he asks and we still have this situation! But he’s precious, too. He just told me a few days ago that I’m his best friend. Then today, Dex was. Boo.

Caleb Z: Ohmigoodness, what a sweet little boy! His heart is so wonderful. He loves his little brothers, and still takes time to cuddle with his mommy. (Still loves daddy best, though!) He is passionate about reading the bible, which of course, makes me pretty happy! Loves fire trucks, tractors, and other fun stuff. He’s also ALL BOY. Today at the zoo, he was obsessed with “bottoms and poops.” Oy. I suspect that the gals I was with questioned my parenting a smidge. What are you gonna do?! He really wants to start school, so I try not to talk about it too often. (He won’t be old enough for kindergarten this year. Boo, too.)

Things also go well for us as a family! Jonny Fashbaugh is my favorite boy in a house of great boys, and we have the BEST friends! Life is pretty awesome for the Fashbaugh clan, to be honest!

Happy Tuesday Indeed!

I gave the big boys haircuts yesterday. Let’s just say it’s a good thing they’re two and four and don’t care about how they look. I just wanted them to look a little neater for our family pictures on Saturday without having a buzzcut – my signature hairstyle. But soon everyone will see the results of my labor. Luckily, the majority of the damage on Gavi is in the back where you won’t see. Caleb's is around his ears, which I’m hoping we’ll be far enough back to avoid!

I’m so excited to get family pictures done! I wasn’t pleased with Declan’s first pictures because he looked like such a little frog. Now we’ll get a picture of ALL of us! Of course, I’m not all that psyched to get mine taken. Just crossing my fingers that my pride can take a backseat that day so that I can choose a picture based on how cute my boys look rather than how wonky I look!

Declan has gone completely to bottles. *sob, sigh, sob* I’m chalking it up to a profound lack of sleep, but I’ve got nothing for him. He’s such a little peach, though! We still cuddle while I feed him, but I don’t have to feed him as often! HOORAY! My favorite time of the day with him is at night when the big boys have gone to bed. He’ll just sit there and grin and crack up with me. It’s my happy time. Of course, part of that is that Jonny is home and gets to spend time with him. I love my boys!

Today is a red letter day, to quote Robin Hood. I was showered and dressed by the time the boys got up. Then we had breakfast, got dressed, teeth and (mangled) hair brushed, shoes and socks on, room cleaned and ALL our daily chores done by eight o’clock. Dex slept through it all, but still – two of them completely ready and my entire list of daily chores done by eight? Praise the Lord!

There’s a reason God’s mercies are new every morning – that’s when we need it the most! (And thankfully, his grace extends throughout the afternoon!)

 Terra replied...

I'm sorry that you can no longer breastfeed. I know how it is! At least though your body is all your own with no chance of "sharing" it again. I look forward to that day myself. Jack still nurses 3 times a day, but is slowly weaning. I think in a few months he'll be strickly on the bottle. Such is life.

 

Many Thoughts

When I was three/four, I dumped all the fish food into my aunt's tank. She said, "Thanks a lot, Mandy." And being unfamiliar with the great idea of sarcasm, I responded enthusiastically, "You're welcome, Aunt Beth!"

Gavi did the same thing a month ago. It was after Caleb's Christmas program, and Declan's cradle had been relocated to the kitchen, his normal spot being usurped by our Christmas tree. Unfortunately, the relocation meant it was close enough to the fish tank for Gavi to crawl into it and feed those poor, hungry fish. It meant a complete water change was necessary. To Jonathan's credit, he didn't even get angry. I just had to ask Gavi to be quiet for a while because his constant chatter was about to send Jonny's patience down the drain along with all the food-filled fish water.

Caleb is so pleasant. Sometimes he gets a little whiny, but other times he really surprises me with a great attitude. He will not leave the table without being excused ~ even if it means screaming his head off to request permission. (Yes, sometimes I DO go to the bathroom, and mealtime is the only time I can have a little privacy. Sorry for the TMI. Moms, you understand.) Sometimes, when he asks to do something and I deny, he's well trained in saying, "Okay, mommy. {pause} Why?" Which is SO much more pleasant than Gavi's favorite phrase, "Why, Mommy, WHY?!" Which he uses for anything and everything, even when a question is not implicit. Or when I haven't asked him to do anything. No, no, it's just his favorite thing to say. He just walks around the house saying it.

Our Declan actually lost a pound and a half last month, so he's being supplemented with formula, rice, and the milk our friend gave us. And he got SO much happier right away. Poor baby, I guess he was really hungry! It's pretty easy to beat myself down for not recognizing the hunger cues, but I'm trying not to dwell on it! It's just so wonderful for him to be pleasant and well fed again.

What else? OH! I'm going to be a table leader at MOPS! It's something that terrifies me because I hate meeting new people - I hear you scoff, J - but I believe God is going to give me the ability to be an encouragement to these women like MY leaders have been to me!

My big boys are beating each other down on the couch. Gotta go regulate. When is it okay to just let them fight it out?

Getting Brief!

A couple days ago, we went to the Cherry Creek Rez to run around since the weather is getting brutal around here. (Nothing like MN - in the twenties below. Insanity!) Anyway, we call it our "exploring park," and the boys take turns leading us along paths and trails. I hadn't accounted for the amount of snow on the ground, so I was pushing a stroller along paths and trails covered in two to three inches of snow, then Gavi got whooped after only a mile, so I was carrying him on my shoulders, too. Caleb was leading at that point, and I said, "How much farther?"

"Only four more miles," replied he.

"(unintelligible groaning)," says I, brilliantly.

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's five now."

That's what you get for complaining. Didn't I learn ANYTHING from the Israelites?!