Step By Step...On Video!

I was finally able to capture some of Caleb's steps on video. Although he is still a bit wobbly at times, he is doing a really good job!

I am not sure why the video appears so cloudy....on our video camera, and our computer at home, the video looks fine. It wasn't until I uploaded it here that it got so "yucky".

Anyway, here you go....some of our little guy's first steps...enjoy. =)

We went to the park today, and he loved being able to walk from place to place. While we were there, he also discovered a good way to go down the slide....he turns himself around and goes down backwards, feet first, with his belly down...similar to the technique that he has mastered to get himself down the stairs at home! What a smartie!

Weekend with Grandma and Grandpa

Kris and I went to North Carolina this weekend for a friend's wedding. That meant that Caleb got to stay with Grandma and Grandpa! Although Kris has been away overnight a handful of times this past year, this is the very 1st time that Caleb and I have been apart for more than a few hours!

While we did have a nice "vacation", we missed Caleb like crazy. Although, I am not sure how much he missed us. :) He had a lot of fun with his grandparents. He played a lot with Cubby, got to eat Grandma's yummy french toast, visited the pumpkin patch, and helped Grandpa mow the lawn.

**As a side note, Caleb is walking so much more! He gets himself to standing, without holding on to anything. He is very steady on his feet, and even manages to change directions. Although he still prefers to crawl, as it is faster for him, we are so proud of the progress he is making!

A rainy Sunday afternoon....

Caleb was not at all interested in the game...and unfortunately, they lost this weekend. But, how cute does he look in his jersey?


Playing telephone...Kris was "talking" to Caleb on his cell phone and Caleb mimicked him with his pretend phone....so cute!


One of my favorite ways to spend Sunday afternoons throughout the Fall and Winter is at my parents' house in Roscoe. There is something about "going home" that is relaxing and comforting.

Yesterday, in all its rainy glory, was a perfect day to make the journey out to "almost Wisconsin". Plus, after spending the weekend trying to catch the mouse that got into our house, with no success, I was eager to spend the day somewhere else! (By the way, we did finally catch him....and he is gone...forever.)

My Dad built a fire, just for me, even though nobody else was convinced it was quite cool enough for that. We watched football. We relaxed. My Mom cooked for us and took care of us. She is good at that. I hope that I can take care of my family the way she has always taken care of us. We convinced Dad and Kris to play "Celebrity"....Dad and Warren won...again. I am learning to be a better loser. I didn't throw any baskets this time (Jon, if you are reading this...I am still so sorry about that one time...)

I am never sure what is "blog-worthy"...I apologize if reading about our Sunday afternoon is boring.....to me, spending time with family is always so special and therefore, worthy of some online journaling....for those who are bored with my musings, I have at least included a couple photos of a very cute little boy...

Step by Step...

So, Caleb has been taking "baby steps" these past few weeks....3, 4, or 5 stable steps at a time....today, he walked halfway across the den until he decided to sit down and crawl the rest of the way! That is the most I have seen him walk on his own thus far. I always try to catch these moments on video, but I am not fast enough, and Caleb's performances are not yet frequent enough....but, as soon as I can snap a photo, or shoot a quick video, I'll post it! He seems SO close to being an official walker....I know it could still be a while, but he is getting there! He has gotten very sturdy and will stand unassisted for long lengths at a time. And, he no longer falls after taking steps; rather, he steadily sits himself down, or gets into the crawling position. While he is able to walk on his own, he still prefers and chooses to crawl...I guess it is a faster mode of transport at this point.....I'll keep you posted!

1 Year Photos

We took Caleb for his 1-year pictures this past week. We went to the photographer who took our wedding pictures, as well as Caleb's 6 month photos.

Although he was in a good mood, he had no desire to sit still for longer than a few seconds at a time...he was very interested in all of the fun things around him...the lights, the toys, the props. He kept crawling off and for some reason, doesn't yet understand the directions "please sit still and smile for the camera". =) Thankfully, she did manage to snap some great shots!

If you would like to look at the photos, you can go to the studio's website. It is a protected site, so you will have to login with an email address to see the photos.

The website is www.sylverstudio.com

The ID# for Caleb's pictures is 2816. (If you want to look at his 6 month photos while you are there, the ID# for those is 2743.)

Just for Fun...

Uncle Warren got Caleb an ISU hoodie for his birthday, and I wanted to try it on Caleb to see how it fit. Once he had it on, I thought he looked so cute that I just had to have a little photo shoot! So, here's a little "just for fun" posting dedicated to Uncle Warren!

"I think it is funny that you have so much fun taking photos of me..."


"Go Redbirds!"


"#3...just like Uncle Warren!"


"Go Long..."


"Hitting the books....I am so ready for college."