Birthday Number One!

 We celebrated Calvin's first birthday with presents and cake- he wasn't sure what to do with the whole cake, so I cut him a slice and he handled it much better.

 His big present was a carseat.

 He loved all of the puzzles and books from family.

Calvin loves the water, whether it's the pool, sprinklers, bath, spigot or even Mitch's water bowl.

Calvin loves being able to crawl around and discover things.  He has just started zooming his cars around on the wood floor.  He enjoys sharing his cars and snacks with Mitch the dog, who in turn shares his dog food with Cal.  Calvin has discovered that dirt and mud and weeds and even dead beetles don't taste too bad.  He'll put anything and everything in his mouth that he finds outside on the grass.  When he's not talking Cal likes to cluck his tongue, and if he's in a good mood he'll yell at the top of his lungs while crawling as fast as he can across the floor. 

Happy Birthday Calvin!  It's been a fun-filled first year together.

11 Months

I'm happy to annouce that Calvin is officially a crawler! Last night while I was getting his bath ready, he decided he didn't want to wait for me to get him, so he started crawling to me. He's been so close for awhile, so I've been watching. He was crawling around a lot more this morning- I think he enjoys having a more controlled mobility. We even started lessons this morning on how to go down the stairs. Now that I've had a whole day of a crawling baby I'm not so sure I like it- if I'm within range Cal crawls to me and climbs up my leg or right into my lap.

One of my favorite things Cal does is chatter. It sounds like he's talking in his own separate language that he completely understands. He can converse with me very well, though there's no comprehension on my part.

My least favorite development of Calvin's is his aversion to having his diaper changed and getting dressed/undressed. Without fail, he throws a fit everytime I lay him down on the floor to be changed, crying and arching his back and flipping over and alternating between kicking and straightening out his legs. I'm not sure why the meltdowns all of a sudden, but he keeps things interesting.

Some things Calvin likes to do: turn off the light switches, push the button in the garage to open and close the garage door, ring the doorbell, initiate peek-a-boo by ducking behind furniture or putting a blanket over his head, and most of all Cal likes to be outside. When the weather is nice we'll go to the park or set a blanket out on the front lawn and play. He also enjoys going for bike rides with Mom and Dad. He gets to sit in the bike trailer, and loves having the wind in his face.

Thank you, Calvin, for being the perfect little man to share my days with. We love you.

10 Months

Calvin seems to be growing and learning something new every day. The pictures above I took this evening before bathtime. Cal decided he wanted to practice getting up and down from sitting. He's been able to get up for the past few couple of weeks, but before tonight getting down involved pretty much just falling. I think that what started the practice session was Cal's desire to suck on his big toes, and it evolved from that point. He's a funny guy.

This past month we had a visit from Grandma Shafer, who gave Calvin his first haircut! He looks much better with all of those shaggy bits gone.

Calvin survived his first ear infection as well as his first rash. He loves all pastas, strawberries, avocados, oranges, oatmeal raisin cookies, grilled cheese sandwiches, and pretty much anything new, including Mexican food. A couple things he's not too fond of: pears, tomatoes, and baby food. I'm hoping all of these new foods have stuck to his ribs enough to satisfy the doctor. He feels heavier to me! It seems like all Calvin ever wants to do is play- everything becomes a game to him, and he involves you whether you want to play or not. It makes things interesting, especially when I'm trying to change his diaper or getting him dressed, but mostly it's just fun.

9 Months

There are a lot of pictures in this entry, so I apologize if it's an overload. Thanks to Grandma Lori for taking so many good ones!

So here are Cal's stats from the most recent doctor appointment: 28.75 inches long (50th %), head circumference is also in the 50th %, but weight is only 15 pounds 10 ounces which puts him in the -3rd percentile. The doctor says we need to add butter and other fatty things to pretty much everything he eats to beef him up. So that's the goal for the next month. He also has an ear infection- his first, and he just loves his medicine.

Some items of interest: Calvin is just starting to push up onto his hands and knees, and he has even gone from his belly to a sitting position twice this past week. I got teary-eyed. He loves zippers, drawstrings, and buttons. He still enjoys rough housing. Cal has started fake laughing, which sounds sort of like a cough. It's pretty funny. He loves to be outside, even when it's frigid- we have to go on a walk everyday in his umbrella stroller, even if it's just around the block.

Let the pictures begin!

We celebrated Eric's birthday on the 11th.

Calvin on Daddy's shoulders.

Swimming at the Legacy Center. Calvin just got dunked for the first time. He didn't seem too upset, just suprised.

Just waking up. Nice bed head.

8 Months

We've made it another month, and this has been my favorite so far. Cal is so much fun to be around, and everything seems to be improving- sleeping, eating, everything. Christmas was nice and quiet, and New Years was spent with Jenny, Ben, and William, after which Jenny and William stayed for another week. It was great fun.

Some quick updates on Calvin: his one tooth is very sharp, and he's not afraid to use it. His favorite food is beef stroganoff. He absolutely adores Eric (yes, I am a little bit jealous). He rotates with his arms and then rolls wherever he wants to go, so he gets around pretty quickly. Cal is now officially a sitter! He's eating more solids, and besides beef stroganoff, his favorites are orange juice, animal crackers, cheese, and oranges. He loves to play- the more physical the better: tickling, being thrown around, playing chase with Mom & Dad, bouncing, and hanging upside down are favorites. He's talking more and more- currently he's saying dadadadada and growling. We are practicing using pincher fingers to pick up food, and he's improving every day. I'm not sure if I'll be able to wait 4 more months to get his hair cut- it's getting pretty long- but I'm going to try.

7 Months, etc.

So I neglected to take a 7 month picture of Calvin, so these will have to suffice. Above is what I wanted to be on our Christmas cards, but Cal didn't exactly cooperate, nor did I get cards made and sent out, so this is it!

Many thanks to Grandma Lori for watching Mitch while Cal and I were in California for Thanksgiving, and for staying an extra few days to see us and help me re-sleep train Calvin. (Thanksgiving in CA was wonderful, but I have no pics- sorry!)

Calvin dressed to the nines for church in an outfit from Grandma Shafer.

And all dressed up for a cold Cal football game, thanks to Grandpa Shafer!

A quick review of Calvin from the last month: he's learning to sit up, though he doesn't particularly enjoy practicing; his "tooth" decided it wasn't ready to come in after all and has decided to recede back down into his gums; he loves to babble- bababababa, and today he figured out how to make a high-pitched whining noise that is the most annoying sound I think I've heard; he's beginning to eat much better- he even expressed visible excitement about a meal the other day- shocking; if he's in the mood, he'll roll around on the floor so much that it's only the furniture or walls that are stopping him- I put him down and come back two minutes later and he's 10 feet away; he's starting to scoot a little bit more to get toys (favorites are keys and a wooden circle rattle).

Calvin makes me laugh many times each day, and I can't believe how fast he's changing. I love how ready to smile he always is, and that I can look at his face and see his daddy more and more every day.

6 Months

Happy six months to Calvin, my happy boy. I can't believe we've already made it half a year, all of us still alive, and not knowing what we're doing.

As you can see by the blurs, Cal is always moving. Even when the rest of him is still, his feet will be moving in circles or rubbing against one another. He is starting to learn how to give kisses, smile for the camera, and roll to where he wants to go. He loves looking at Mitch (our dog), and loves it even more when Mitch licks him.

Cal likes to chew on the leaves he picks from the trees when we go on a walk, suck/munch on any of his fingers or toes, and he goes berserk for paper- the program at church, junk mail, etc. His tooth is taking its sweet time coming in- it's still just a speck. Eric was sporting some facial hair when he was home this past weekend, and Calvin couldn't get enough of it- all he wanted to do was touch his daddy's face.

My efforts of getting Calvin to eat more has paid off! He has gone from the 3rd percentile for weight to the...6th! He weighs in at 14 pounds 12 ounces, and he's almost 27 inches long (61st percentile). I will continue to stuff him with food and see where we land in 3 months.

Happy 1/2 year birthday Calvin!