10 Months

Caleb, 

I thought last month you were going through so much developmentally, but this month you've just exploded with new skills! You said your first word! We were sitting in the living room playing and I said, "Caleb say Momma" and you said, "Mmm momma" and haven't stopped since! You are so incredibly smart! The next day we were coming back from Grandma and Grandpa Benson's house and you said "Dada" You'll say Dada, but not nearly as much as you say Momma. I love it and it melts my heart.

You're officially mobile and started crawling everywhere! You love exploring everything around you and you're definitely keeping me on my toes. You can push yourself into a sitting position from crawling and are getting better control of your body. You love crawling over to the sliding glass door and watching the dogs outside. You can pull yourself to standing using anything in your reach and love to let go when we help you stand. You can balance freely for quite a while and you love when you fall forward or backward and we're there to catch you. We lowered your crib this month too so you don't try to climb out. You are so determined to stand on your own and if you could, you'd stand all day long and practice balancing. 

You cut two new teeth this month! Both of your top lateral incisors cut through and you're right central incisor is working on cutting through. Overall, you're a pretty good teether. You have your moments where you're fussy, but I would be too if I was teething! 

You learned how to give high fives this month and are starting to understand basic questions.  If you're holding something and I say, "Give the ball/block/cup/etc to Mommy" you take whatever you're holding and put it in my hand.  You started mimicking what we're doing, like sticking out your tongue or making noises with your mouth. You can give kisses when asked, although you keep your mouth wide open and sometimes slip us your tongue! 

We flew to Texas this month to meet your cousin Gavin and spend time with your Uncle Greg and Aunt Danielle. While in Texas we went to the Dallas Zoo and got to hand feed carrots to giraffes! It was amazing, but you were a little unsure about it. We also experienced a pretty crazy storm the last night we were in Texas. You weren't phased one bit by the thunder or lightning.

You started sleeping a little better this month, usually only waking up once or twice most nights. I stopped nursing you to sleep at night because it was taking anywhere from an hour or two to get you down. You adjusted really well to this and now it only takes 20 minutes to get you down! We hope we can eventually lay you down awake in your crib and you'll fall asleep on your own. One thing at a time......

You absolutely love a Volvo commercial that's playing on TV right now.  Anytime it comes on and you hear the song, you stop what you're doing to watch.  I did some research and found out the woman singing is Audra Mae and the song is "Feeling Good" I'll play the song if you're fussy or crying and most of the time it does the trick to calm you down. 

I can't believe in just 2 short months we'll be celebrating your 1st birthday. Time is going by so fast and while I don't like that you're growing up so fast, I'm so excited for the adventures that are in store for us and watching your personality develop. I love you my sweet boy and tell you I do a thousand times a day. You bring so much joy to me and fill my soul. 

Momma

9 Months

Caleb,

You've been outside of my belly as long as you were in and it still blows my mind that I carried you in my womb for 9 months. You're getting so big and losing your babyness and becoming more of a little boy. You're wearing 9-12 month clothes and exploding with developmental milestones.  You're trying so incredibly hard to crawl and get frustrated when you get stuck and can't get to what you want. You do some sweet yoga moves in your attempts to crawl and always get in a plank/push-up position before you try to move forward.  You are such a squirmer.  When you want off our lap, you make every attempt possible to get off on your own.  Changing your diaper and putting clothes on you is becoming more difficult as you are easily distracted and can't lay still for long.  You've started pulling yourself up to standing all by yourself in the bathtub; it seems to be the easiest place for you to do it and you know mom and dad are right there to catch you if you slip. 

You're baby vocabulary is expanding every day and it really sounds like you're trying to communicate with us. The tone in your voice fluctuates and you love getting a reaction out of us. Your newest thing to do when it's quiet is yell "Ah ah ah ah!" We do it back to you and you think it's the greatest thing ever. You are such a social butterfly and love smiling at any and everything. People always stop to say hi to you and you love smiling back at them. So many people ask us if you're always this happy and for the most part, you really are. You have your moments, but we all do. You're such a joy to take out places because you always do so great.  You started to do the squinchy face smile all the time this month and it's the cheesiest smile ever. We love it. 

We're still breastfeeding and your attachment to the boob is getting stronger and stronger. Some days I can't wait for you to turn 1 so we can start weaning you, but other days I don't look forward to it at all because I know how hard of an adjustment it will be for you.  It's going to be hard on me too and some times I'm okay with weaning when you're ready.  This breastfeeding thing is truly a love hate relationship.  Lately you'll pop off the boob and then grab a hold of the nipple and play with it. You get mad when I cover it up so you can't play with it, but son, you're not the most gentle baby and don't know your own strength. You're nursing about 4 times during the day and anywhere from 2-3 times at night. You mostly get solids at night and have recently been introduced to blueberries and peaches. You like them both. You're still doing great with feeding yourself finger foods and are getting better at chewing. You've started spitting out your juice/water from your sippy cup and getting soaked. We have to limit your time with the sippy cup, otherwise you'd be a mess all the time. 

We started your second session of swim lessons and your new teacher is Jake. There are 3 moms/babies from our breastfeeding support group that started swim lessons as well, so it's a lot of fun to be with your friends. I love staying busy with you and doing new activities. We're getting out more and more to explore and you love it.  We went to the Carlsbad Flower Fields this month and it was beautiful. We took a lot of pictures and you loved being out and about. 

You're officially a big cousin! Your Uncle Greg and Aunt Danielle had their baby, Gavin Patrick, on March 28th! We are so excited to meet him and watch the two of you grow up together. We're going to fly to Texas this month to meet him and we can't wait. 

Caleb, I hope you always know how much I love you and will always be there for you. I tell you I love you a thousand times a day and love making you smile. You are my world and I've never smiled so much in my life since you've been born. You make me so proud and happy to call you my son. I love you turkey. 

Momma 

8 Months

Caleb,

This month you finally got your first two teeth! Your bottom left poked through first and then your bottom right came in about 2 weeks later. You ran a low fever for about 4 days and battled a cold while your first one came through, but handled your second one like a champ. You were still such a happy baby through it all. You've bitten me more times than I'd like while nursing, but I'm trying really hard to push through it and teach you it's not ok to bite mommy. I'm not looking forward to your top teeth coming in! You're such a good eater with solids and love every new food you get to try. You're perfecting the pincer grasp and we've let you feed yourself  puffs, yogurt bites, pieces of cheese, chicken, avocado and noodles. You seem to prefer picking things up with your left hand, although you do use your right hand/fingers sometimes.  You're starting to get the hang of using a sippy cup too! 

This month you finally rolled from back to belly and are scooting backwards. When we lay you down in your crib for naps and bedtime, you're quick to roll to your left side or onto your belly to sleep. You move all around in your crib and get frustrated when you can't roll onto your back after rolling from your tummy. Sleep is still pretty much the same. You are consistently inconsistent with your sleep at night. Some nights you only wake up twice and other nights you're up 4-5 times. It's exhausting, son, and I constantly have to remind myself that this is just a phase and this too shall pass. I'm trying to convince myself that you're waking up so much because you're just going through so many developmental milestones right now and possibly working on your next set of teeth. Your favorite place to nap is on me/the boob, but we've gotten lucky a few times this month with naps in your crib.

You started swim lessons at the Redlands YMCA every Tuesday and Thursday.  You're in the Shrimp/Kipper class with 2 other babies and your teacher's name is Megan.  We do a lot of floating and trying to get you to kick in the water, but for the most part you just like to chill in the water like a little sea otter and have mom or dad do all the work. 

You're making new sounds all the time and have started saying "dadadada." You love petting/grabbing our cats, Lilly and Romeo, and I think they like the attention they get from you. We're trying to teach you to be gentle and not pull on their fur/ears/tail. You've developed a fear of beards and facial hair this month and cry almost every time you see a man with facial hair. It's the saddest thing ever. You're starting to reach for us when we go to pick you up and you love when we FaceTime your dad when he's working. 

I'm loving this stage that you're in.  You're so much fun and you're becoming more independent every day.  There's no doubt you love me and your dad. You light up when you see us and it's the best feeling in the world seeing you smile back at us. I can't believe you've been in this world almost as long as you were in my belly. Time is going by way too fast my love and I'm trying to enjoy every minute! I love you my little turkey! 

Momma 

7 Months

Caleb,

This month you have definitely found your voice. You love to growl and babble and can say "ahrababa" "ahmamama" and "bababa". You found out you can change the tone in your voice too and love to squeal! You're starting to respond to your name and can recognize me and your dad in the mirror. I'm not quite sure if you recognize yourself yet or not, but you love looking at pictures of yourself and watching yourself on videos I've recorded. You love seeing other babies too and interacting with them. 

For the first time since you've been born, you slept through the night at about 6 1/2 months old! It was a one time deal, but it was amazing and I'll gladly accept more sleep when you're ready.  You are waking up usually 2-3 times at night, but go right back to sleep when you're done nursing. You also started napping in your crib this month and we took the swing away. You did really great the first week in your crib and then you got an awful cold, so mommy enjoyed her snuggles during the day while you napped on me. We're slowly getting you back into your crib for naps, but you still love a good boob snooze. 

We're still breastfeeding and some days I want to make it to a year and some days I just want to be done with it. I have a love hate relationship with breastfeeding, but yours is all love baby boy. You love the boob and you're starting to hit my chest when you want it. I know I'll truly miss breastfeeding when it's over, it will be bitter sweet for sure. We've expanded your horizons a little in the food department this month and so far you've tried sweet potatoes, avocado, pears, butternut squash and applesauce. Sweet potatoes are by far your favorite and right now you don't care for butternut squash, but I'm hoping that with time you'll like it. 

You're starting to pull yourself up while holding onto our hands and love standing with a little help. This month you rode in the shopping cart and stroller like a big boy- no more car seat! You also moved to the big tub for baths now that you can sit up all by yourself. We hate seeing you grow up so fast, but know that it's inevitable and were enjoying every new stage and milestone. You're not mobile yet and that's perfectly okay with me! I thought we'd see a tooth by now, but nothing has popped through. We'll see what this next month has in store! 

Caleb, you light up my world and make me the happiest momma. Your personality is developing fast and you're looking more and more like your handsome daddy every day. You're such a happy, sociable baby and have yet to develop stranger danger.  I'm so proud of you and I'm enjoying this baby stage as long as I can.

I love you bubba,

Momma 

6 Months

My sweet baby boy, where has the time gone?! It is so hard to believe you're 6 months old already. The time has gone by so quickly.  There are a few things I keep forgetting to mention in your updates, that I figured I'd add to your 6 month update: you developed a small freckle on your right shoulder a couple of months ago and within the last month or so, you got one on your bottom lip! You also have a birthmark on your right calf that you've had since you were born.  You love "thumping" your legs when you're in your crib and have done this for the last several months. We've been putting you in sleep sacks at night and you love lifting your legs up and then slamming them on your mattress. You slam your heels so hard that we're amazed you don't get bruises! 

Your eyes are still the most beautiful blue and your hair is starting to come in better, although it's pretty thin.  I think you're going to be blonde and blue eyed like your dad was when he was a little boy. You still love bath time and splashing the water everywhere.  This month you've discovered your penis and love grabbing it while you're taking a bath.  I can only imagine what we're in store for as you get older! You wear size 3 diapers now and fit into most 9 month clothes and a few 6 month. 

This month you started sitting up unassisted and can usually maintain your balance for a few minutes before falling backward or to the side. You're able to reach for your toys while sitting up and you really enjoy being able to look around and see what's going on around you better. You're not rolling over anymore though and haven't rolled from your back to belly yet. You just don't seem too interested in that anymore. Tummy time is still hit and miss, but you're starting to push up higher and kick your legs. 

You turn your head in the right direction when you hear something and are starting to respond to your name. You're still showing signs of teething, but nothing has popped through. You suck on your bottom lip and have been drooling so much that you've developed a rash below your bottom lip.  You love chewing on Sophie, teething rings and pretty much anything else you can get in your mouth.  You love exploring our faces and sticking your hands in our mouths and grabbing our noses too. You also think it's hilarious when I have my hair in a pony tail and flip it around. You developed a serious side this month and haven't been as smiley, but I think it's because you're really analyzing everything around you and trying to figure out this world.  

This month you started watching what we were eating, making chewing motions while we were eating and getting so frustrated while watching us.  We introduced you to solids when you turned 6 months and you really enjoyed it! We started you on sweet potatoes and you absolutely love them.  Avocados are next! You're still breastfeeding every 3-4 hours during the day and started clamping down while nursing. Not cool son, not cool! But, we've made it 6 months breastfeeding and I think that's amazing.  You still wake up anywhere from 2-4 times at night to nurse and I don't know how I manage to function during the day, but I've somehow adjusted. 

You started napping in your room finally.... Although you still nap in your swing and I don't know when we're going to break you from that. We celebrated your first Christmas this month and you loved trying to open up presents. It was such a special time for us and one that your dad and I have looked forward to for many, many years. 

Caleb Scott, you are the most adorable baby ever and have such a personality. Even on the rough days, I wouldn't trade being a stay at home mom for anything. I love watching you grow and seeing your personality develop. I love you more than you'll ever know my little ham! 

Momma 

5 Months

Caleb, 

This month you've seemed to grow so much developmentally and do something new every single day. You're quite the chatter box and make all sorts of noises.  You make sure to let us know when you don't like something and when you get to talking, you usually go from 0 to 100 in a few seconds. We always tell you to slow down because you get so worked up you'll start to cry. You started your 5th month sleeping so much better at night. You would go down easy at night, only wake 2-3 times at night and not get up until 8 am. One day you didn't wake up until 9! However, the last week or so you've been consistently waking up every two hours and now you're waking up between 6 and 7. I'm one tired momma, but I'm taking it all in stride because I know it's just a phase. In the mornings your dad has been getting up with you and reading to you while I get a few extra minutes of sleep. I love listening to him read to you. It makes me so happy to know he gets to spend the mornings with you before he goes to work because you're usually asleep by the time he gets home. Your naps are hit and miss. Some days you'll take great naps and other days you fight them like he plague and only nap 20 minutes. You seriously don't want to miss anything and I wish you understood how amazing sleep is! You still refuse to nap in your crib and I've stopped stressing about it.... for now. 

You're still breastfeeding like a champ and love the boobs. But, so long are the days where I could just relax with you while you nurse. You are so active and distracted while you're nursing now. If you hear something, you instantly pop off to see what it was and you're always looking around. You also like to punch, smack, pinch and kick me while you nurse now. You rarely ever lay still anymore and sometimes you break the skin when you pinch me. I also have a few bruises on my arms from you kicking. But despite the abuse I endure, I wouldn't trade breastfeeding you for the world. It truly is a special bond that we have and I still get a few moments where we stare into each other's eyes and you smile up at me. Breastfeeding has gotten so much easier and I'm at the point where I'm okay with you weaning when you're ready. I pray you don't decide to wean before a year though. I'll be extremely sad the day you decide you're done breastfeeding. 

As much as I hate to admit it, I'm pretty sure you're teething. You chew on everything and drool like crazy.  You like to play with your extra saliva in your mouth like you're chewing something and you've started sucking your bottom lip. You've clamped down while nursing a few times and that is no fun, so I can only imagine what it'll be like when your teeth pop through! 

You've discovered your feet this month and love grabbing them. You arch your back now and try to throw yourself backwards when we hold you. You're rolling over from your belly to back more often and trying hard to roll from your back to belly.  You're able to roll to your side with no problem and grab your toys. You love watching TV, especially football, and pulling your burp cloth or lovey over your face.  You'll cover your face and flail around like you can't pull it off, but you totally can. I think you like feeling the cloth on your face with your hot breath. You're able to sit up with little assistance and I know it's only a matter of time before you can sit up on your own. You totally notice when your dad and I leave the room and start crying when no one is paying attention to you. As soon as someone walks over and acknowledges you, you start smiling and laughing. In the beginning of the month you started doing a fake cough when no one was paying attention to you. It was quite ridiculous, but worked every time.

You, my dear son, have us wrapped around your finger and know how to make our hearts melt. You've become such a flirt and love looking at other babies. I can't believe how much your growing and changing. You're so much fun and bring so much joy to us and everyone around you. You have no idea how much you're loved and adored. I love you like crazy, baby boy. 

Momma 

4 Months

Caleb,

You had another exciting month! You rolled over for the first time from your belly to back and held your bottle all by yourself!  I cried both times because you're just growing up so fast! You haven't rolled over since, but you're getting so much better at tummy time and you don't cry or fuss when we put you on your belly. You can push yourself up to get a better view of everything around you and you're starting to enjoy it a little more. You're also reaching for toys and still love putting everything in your mouth. You started grabbing our hands and bringing them to your mouth to suck on.  And speaking of grabbing things, you started grabbing my hair and earrings this month so I've been wearing my hair in a pony tail most days.  You're drooling so much that your dad and I have wondered if you're starting to teethe, but we don't feel anything quite yet. I'm really hoping you don't get teeth anytime soon because I'm not looking forward to the first time you bite me while you're nursing! You play with your tongue all.the.time and love blowing bubbles and raspberries. You're also becoming more vocal and talking up a storm! You make the cutest facial expressions when you talk, like you're really trying to get your point across. 

You're still sleeping about the same and we had some really rough patches this month where you would wake up every hour and a half to two hours at night wanting to be held or nursed. Thankfully that has passed.... For now.  We started your bedtime routine an hour earlier because you were getting overly tired and not the happiest baby in the evenings. You rub your eyes when you're sleepy now and since we moved your bedtime earlier, you don't fight going to bed as much. 

We went to Texas this month to visit your Uncle Greg and Aunt Danielle and you did great on your first plane ride! You didn't fuss much and even slept both ways.  Southwest gave you a certificate for your first flight and a pair of wings! Your Uncle Greg and Aunt Danielle are expecting their first baby (your first cousin!) and we went to their gender ultrasound and found out they're expecting a boy! We are so excited that you guys will be so close in age and you'll have someone to play with. We can't wait for them to move back to California! In Texas you didn't sleep the greatest, but that was to be expected and when we came home you settled right back in to your normal routine. Your dad and I are going to start sleep training to start better sleep habits for you and to keep our sanity! Sleep deprivation is REAL and part of me can't wait until your a teenager when I can wake you up bright and early on the weekends : ) 

You had your 4 month check up and shots today and you are a big boy! You're in the 90th percentile for length and Dr. Nauertz is estimating you'll be 6'3" or 6'4"! I shouldn't be so surprised since your dad and I are tall.  You're in the 75th percentile for weight and meeting all of your developmental milestones. You handled your shots like a champ and only cried for a few minutes before I nursed you. After you nursed you acted like nothing had happened. 

You are such a happy baby and totally learning how to flirt. You're the biggest cheese ball and love smiling. I got you to laugh this month and it's the most adorable thing ever.  You looooove eating still and are starting to get distracted with things around you while nursing. You love playing "Peek-a-boob" as your Grandma Benson likes to call it. You'll be toward the end of nursing, pop off, look up at me, smile or talk, then act like you're going to nurse again and do it all over again. It's the cutest thing ever and you totally know how to make me laugh. I am such a sucker for your cute smile and baby talk. 

I love watching you grow and change every single day. You have blessed me and your dad more than you'll ever know and are truly our miracle baby. You bring us so much joy and happiness and have shown us what unconditional love is all about. You'll always be my baby boy, Caleb, and I'll forever continue to give you kisses and tell you how much I love and adore you. Thank you for being mine. 

Momma