The Strunk Family: September 2010

Guess who's two months old?

We are so happy having Caleb in our family, and it is awesome to know that he was always meant to be with us. Getting to know him and learning his personality is so much fun! Though we daydreamed for so long about what he would look like, for instance, it is easy to forget those feelings now because I know his sweet face and of course, this is our baby! It is as if he is new to us on one hand, but on the other, he has always been a part of us.

Awww....stretching out!

I love these little, big legs!

Aren't baby hands just so sweet?

-Caleb weighs 13 lbs, 9 oz (84th percentile), and is 23.5 inches long (66th percentile).

-His eyelashes are growing and look like they will soon rival his brother's.

-Caleb wears Size 1 diapers (not much longer), and is well into size 0-3 month clothing

-He sleeps a stretch of about 5-6 hours sometimes, but mainly wakes to eat about every 3 hours.

-He is really starting to coo and smile

-His hair is now a medium-brown and his eyes are dark gray/blue

-Caleb loves to be snuggled

-He likes his swing and bouncy seat, but especially likes when Mommy uses the baby carrier

Daddy says he's the "cutest brown-haired baby we've had"!

As I have said before, life is hard right now with two little boys, but so good! I find that the days seem to fly by even when I have such good intentions. We still are up a bit a night so we sleep as late as Adam will let us (ha!), and it seems that by the time we all get cleaned up for the day, we have a bit of playtime before lunch, then its nap time, and then its time to get stuff together for evening activities, dinner, bedtime etc!

So a few things like thank you notes, laundry, and weeding are taking a backseat to baby loving, baby holding, baby feeding, diaper changing, puzzle working, book reading and ball throwing. Honestly, I probably don't let chores "go" as much as I should. I do not want this time with my boys as little babies to pass me by, so I am working on it, but it is something with which I often struggle. I am thankful for gentle reminders to live in the moment, even as I walk through figuring out how to get two babies to sleep on nights I'm home by myself, but I wouldn't have my life any other way. So I try to take in my sweet Adam's sing song-y voice as he talks himself to sleep at night, breathe in the smell of my new Caleb's hair while he rests on my shoulder, and know that I only get to live this day once.

Today is the day that my sweet toddler turns 22 months old! Two months from now we'll be celebrating his SECOND birthday (reflectant sigh....).

Adam, there are SO many precious things you are doing right now that I just want to take it all in! If I could videotape all day, I would (well, MOST of the day). I just want to take in every moment, enjoy it, LIVE it, and remember it, for life with you is just so much fun! You made your dad and me a real family, and we love you so much. Now we also have your baby brother, and it is so fun to watch you love on him. You are such a good big brother!

So what are you doing these days?

Talking! Everyone has told me that you will get to a point where your spoken vocabulary takes off, and since the last week or two, I really think we are there. You are like a little sponge, listening and saying so much. You've started putting strings of words together, and I love your little voice. You say, "Tank tu mama" (thank you) and it makes me want to give you anything you ask for!

You love to wave bye bye to everything and everyone, even the house when we back out of the driveway. Airplanes in the sky, cars we pass, animals we see, and people we visit. You say, "Bye-bye, c-ya!", wave and blow kisses.

You love to brush your teeth, but you really love the toothpaste. We are working on brushing better but you really want the toothpaste reapplied about 7 times per brushing! At times I've seen you try to eat it straight from the tube.

You are starting to climb on everything. The toilet to get to the sink (turning the water on and off is fun!), the kitchen chair to get to the stool to get on the bar (yikes!). Your bed, the couch, Caleb's crib, etc. You will lift heavy objects to bring them in to help you climb better! Even at the playground you are less afraid of heights.
Sound puzzles are your favorite toy now. You have learned animals and modes of transportation and the sounds they make, and now we talk about animals and cars all the time. You give us a good growl when asked what sound a Wildcat makes, and our favorite is the sound a horse makes ("Whoooaaa!" as in "Whoooaaa, horsey!")

Since Caleb was born you have been sleeping fairly well in your new room and in your twin bed. You made the decision to start sleeping there and are getting the hang of it. When you wake up, you come get in our bed, sometimes scaring the life out of me!
You are an active little guy, and it takes some stamina to keep up with you! You play hard, and you rarely go at a pace slower than a run. You are so fun. You tell us, " 'Mon mama" while motioning for us to "C'mon!"
Little Rosie dog is your favorite. You talk about her, miss her, know which way we should turn in the car to get to her house, and even look at pictures of her. Anything she does makes you laugh!
You love to go bye-bye. This month was the first time I noticed you were really able to sing along with a few of your favorite songs.

You love to sing and dance.

You try to open all doors with our keys, and your own fake set of keys will not suffice. Many times we must look for our own car keys under the seat of your little fire truck ("Woo Woo!"). Its also a good place to hide our phones, too!

You love to help put things away, and your dad often jokes that we should not try to mess with your sense of organization! You always seem to remember which toy pieces go together and where everything is put away.

You laugh so hard when your daddy throw you in the air or kisses your belly.

While you are talking yourself to sleep, you always play with your daddy's wedding band or flick my finger nails (ouch a little bit!)
You are a good helper with your brother, and you give him lots of love and kisses.

You love to read your board books. Your current favorites are the Night Night book, Farm Animal book, the Truck book (still), your books that make noises, the Foot Book, and any books with animals or cars.
You are wearing Size 18 month shirts and Size 12 month shorts (soon to move up I think), Size 5/6 shoes and Size 4 diapers.