Caleb turns two!

Our baby is two!  This kid is keeping us on our toes in so many ways, Paul and I are older, and we’re tired. (Proof: Every picture of this event that I saved on my computer is labeled “Caleb’s 1st Birthday.”  Just keeping it real, folks.) 

Caleb’s birthday party was Moana-themed and included the grandparents (Uncle Jonathan was still recovering from the flu.).

  

 

This picture summarizes Caleb’s life perfectly, and I love it!

A look at what Caleb’s been up to since the last update….

~ Caleb spends at lot of time studying our child-proof locks. He finally mastered one of the lock designs for doorknobs, resulting in a few nerve-wracking days while I waited for new ones to arrive via Amazon.  He hasn’t figured those out quite yet.  Future career options include locksmith, safe breaker, or engineer. 

~  His vocabulary has grown beyond our ability to keep track.  There are still many words we don’t understand, but he is better able to string words together to get his point across (“Ebbie, Kitty, juice,” for example, means he wants those three items handed to him.)

~ Caleb’s fine motor skills are really, really good.  He can unscrew tiny caps and twist them right back on.  He holds a pencil and draws thin lines.  If allowed to play with Lego minifigures, he can successfully put the hats/heads/hair back on.  This is very reminiscent of Ryan at the same age.

~  He is right handed.

~  His first two year molar is breaking through.  Three more to go, and we’ll get a long break from teething.  Yippee!

~  The Moana obsession continues.  Just this week, he picked up his Maui figurine, kissed it, and said, “I wuv you.” 

~  Caleb is still our super snuggler and very eager kisser.  He plays for awhile, snuggles for awhile, and repeats the pattern all day long.

~  He is a BIG BOY, just in case you were confused.  He refuses to go in the high chair (Epic meltdowns ensure if it is attempted, so we gave up.).  He will go into a booster seat for now.  He has rejected toddler spoons and forks.  Only adult utensils will do, but he is able to use them perfectly.

 

~  Caleb is either happy or angry.  Very few minutes are devoted to alternate moods.  Once angry, it can take him 30-45 minutes to return to happy.  All of the typical efforts at distraction or bribery will not work.  Safe yourself a lot of stress and just skip straight to Moana. 

~  He now has three specialists – ENT, dermatologist, and allergist.  We have finally figured out that a daily antihistamine + coating his arms/legs in Cetaphil cream multiple times a day keep his eczema mostly under control.  The allergist just added a nasal spray to see if we can reduce his nasal congestion, and we are taking a break from all dairy products.  Caleb has definitely inherited his father’s and grandfather’s allergies!

~  In late November, Caleb started preschool two mornings a week.  I needed a break from his daily tears while we homeschooled.  He seems to love it!

~  Caleb enjoys being read to in moderation, but he has no interest in letters/numbers/identifying objects.  His focus in life is mastering the skills that enable him to keep up with his older siblings.  As much as possible, he is by their side for everything. 

“Who needs sleep?  I’ll be cute and keep you young!” 

      

For fun:

Ryan Turns Two  (And a sneak peak at Miles in utero!)

Miles (enthusiastically) turns two!  (Abby is clearly in utero here! ;))

Abby Turns Two  (I’m not pregnant again…yet!)