Lotion Bottles of Fun

Why it's so, I'm not sure, but Caleb's favorite toy is an empty bottle of lotion.  By sheer coincidence, we discovered that it kept him relatively still while in the process of dressing him after his nightly bath, when normally he'd be rolling around uncontrollably.  It's like cat nip for him.  Who would have guessed that among all his various bath toys, the empty lotion bottle is his favorite.  Go figure.

Caleb in the Hood

Jae gets a kick out of dressing Caleb in new outfits, and while I'm not as enthusiastic as she is, I have to admit the little guy looked awfully cute in his teddy bear hoodie.  And check out this smile with those two little teeth hanging out over his bottom lip.  Like two stray bits of rice left un-swallowed. :)

Here's a few more shots of the little fella.

Caleb - 8 Months

Caleb's just over 8 months old now and has developed quite the little laugh.  He woke-up hungry tonight at 11 and as I was just about to lift him up from his crib, he rolled over and saw me, stopped crying immediately and let out a cheery little giggle.  Normally he'd continue crying until he was in my arms, but for some reason he's been laughing it up at the most unexpected times . . . and I love it.  There's no better feeling than seeing him smile and hearing him laugh.  It's right up there with watching him dose-off in my arms when I rock him to sleep.  :)


Here are a couple of recent photos of Caleb taken one Sunday afternoon at the Sidewalk Cafe in Addison Circle.  We though we'd put a ball cap on him for a little protection from the sun and was surprised to find that he looks much older, almost like a little toddler.  Mommy was quick to say that she doesn't want her little baby to grow up too fast though and would prefer that he remains small for a long, long time.  


And here's Caleb scanning the table top for goodies to put into his mouth.  We let him sample the humus and he loved it.  I suppose its texture isn't too far from that of baby food, but that garlic and olive oil sure does give it a lot more zing.  The little guy couldn't get enough.  :)

Boot, scoot, and boogie.

Caleb finally began crawling this past Sunday.  Well, he hasn't managed to lift his tummy off of the ground while moving, but he's moving nonetheless.  More like scooting, this little guy has really begun to pick up the pace.  He sets his sight on something clear across the room and heads for it.  Vroom . . . I can't wait until he really begins booking it.  It's just so amazing how much he's grown.

Family Portraits

We finally received our first family photos taken by a professional photographer . . . a little something to remember Caleb's first few months of birth and the moments prior to the start of Jae's chemotherapy treatments.  Will definitely have to return for more once Jae's won her fight against breast cancer and her hair grows back in.  Caleb might be about a year and a half old by then, a perfect age for portraits.  I love the little guy, but he wasn't in the happiest of moods during the photo shoot.  I think the flash was bothering him, making it difficult to take many photos of him smiling.  Fortunately, those few photos taken of him smiling or some what smiling turned out great.  Just look at that little guy.  :)  At any rate, here's more for your viewing pleasure and more to come later.  Enjoy.

Hot Wheels!

Caleb's discovered the joys of walking . . . well, kind of. We bought him a walker and now he's all over the place. He's still stuck in first gear though, and hasn't figured found reverse just yet. He doesn't mind though. He'll park it into a wall and just play with the funny little controls on the front of the walker until mommy and daddy straighten him back out.

He's really beginning to grow up. Seeing him ride in his walker has been a little preview of him walking on his own. It's crazy, to think 6 months have already gone by so quickly. The little blue faced new born shivering in the delivery room is now riding along in his walker like a big boy. I can't believe it sometimes. But when I squat while clapping to encourage him to walk to me, and he smiles and comes zooming at me in excitement, there's no denying it's real.

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

In preparation of Jae's eventual loss of hair due to the chemotherapy, she had it cut short. Here's her new cool and refreshing hair do. What do you think? I've always told Jae she looks great with short hair, but she likes it because it gives Caleb a little less to grab on to. Mommy's hair is not a jungle gym, Caleb.

Oh, and Caleb's reached another milestone in his short 6 month life -- he's dropped his 11pm feeding! Mommy and daddy can finally go to bed at a decent hour and stay asleep until the sun rises. What a joy.

And lastly, one more photo of the two most special people in my life.