Mommy and me

I got off of work early on New Year's Eve so I picked up Cael and we had some one on one time before Daddy got home. Never one to pass up an opportunity to capture the moment, I snapped a couple of pictures and thought I would post them. 

Basket bandit

Lately Cael has been climbing into things like baskets and drawers and playing in them. For the most part it is pretty cute unless of course he is playing in something that can't support his weight. He will crawl in and out over and over and is always so pleased with himself. He sits so proudly as if to say 'look at me, look at what I can do'. All in all it makes for a pretty cute picture.

Cael's chair

For Christmas, Uncle Tim, Aunt Erica, Nolan and Makenzi got Cael a chair that plays music, teaches colors and shapes and contains a book that it reads out loud when prompted. We were apprehensive about it just because neither one of us thought he would actually sit still long enough to enjoy it. Well, we were wrong. He loves his chair and will sit in it while watching football (he had his hand thrown over the back of the chair and was totally lounging while watching the game) and also uses it to climb all over the place. It is so cute and so much fun to watch. 

Botched haircut

Cael's hair was getting really long at the back of his neck making him appear as though he had a mullet (absolutely NOT) so I decided to trim it up. Unfortunately, I really got after it with the scissors and ended up completely butchering his hair at the nape of his neck. Ryan keeps teasing me about whether or not he should get his hair cut and just have it shaved to the middle of his head. HA HA, very funny! It is kind of obnoxious looking, but hey, you live and learn. Hopefully next time I won't be so aggressive. Regardless of the messed up haircut, he is still a very cute little boy! 

Christmas trip

We had a wonderful Christmas in Park City, UT this year with lots of laughter and food. The cousins interacted quite a bit this trip. Veronica would follow Cael and he would turn around, laugh and continue crawling. They also would 'talk' back and forth echoing each other's sounds. It was adorable. Once again, we were spoiled by the abundance of gifts and had a great time trying to convince the babies that the presents were more interesting than the boxes and the paper. We dressed them up in their warmest clothes and took them outside to play in the snow. This was the first time that Cael didn't just sit there and cry. He loved when Daddy or Bapa pulled him in the sled and at point would not let us take him down from the snow drift we had set him on in order to take some pictures (every time we asked if he wanted 'up' he would just shake his head). He definitely understands the concept of the word 'no'. He isn't talking, but understands 'high five', 'kisses', 'blow kisses' and a myriad of other phrases. It is nice to be able to communicate with him even if he isn't saying anything. He is also becoming quite a little walking machine and improves with each day. Soon enough, his chosen method of transportation will be walking instead of crawling. Kim's son Reid and his daughter Lowell joined us on Friday and it was great watching her interact with the younger kids. She is a doll and has a very sweet disposition, not to mention, being quite the little talker. Some of the things that came out of her mouth were absolutely hilarious!! She definitely made it seem more like Christmas (in a way only children can) with her enthusiasm and energy.It was so much fun to be around my family and to spend time with the people I love. As with every year, I wish we could all be together, but given the distance between us that will probably never work out. I will just have to settle for what I can and be grateful that I have so many wonderful people to call my own.

So very grateful

Last night I took Cael on a plane to Park City, UT. I was extremely nervous because he is a 13 month old little boy and they don't do well sitting still for long periods of time. We got through security with no issues only to find out that our flight had been delayed by 45 minutes. Cael was an absolute angel as we waited to get on the plane, but I was worried about how long it would last. We finally boarded our flight and when he didn't fall asleep after his bottle (a mom can hope) I knew it was going to be a VERY long flight. I sat next to a woman who was coming home from serving a year and a half in Kuwait. Regardless of the fact that she was exhausted, she was kind enough to entertain Cael and even offered him some Apple Jacks from her bag, which I thought was an extremely sweet gesture. It didn't take long for Cael to become bored with all of the toys that I had brought with me including my cell phone, which he loves to play with and I was panicking. He started taking anything I would give him and throwing it into the aisle where inevitably someone would have to retrieve it for me. This soon had the people around me actively involved in helping me entertain my son and I am extremely grateful to them. The woman sitting next to me complimented me on Cael's name saying it was 'very cool' and the people behind me spent the entire descent (35 minutes) playing peek-a-boo with him (he is tireless when it comes to a good game of peek-a-boo). I kept apologizing and thanking them and each time they reassured me that Cael was the one doing the entertaining and they were just happy to comply. I spent a good deal of the time worrying that he was overstaying his welcome so to speak, but finally just relaxed and let myself enjoy a few moments of peace. At one point I mentioned that they were obviously much better at occupying my son than I was and one of the guys (I am assuming he didn't have any kids) said that it didn't appear to be that hard. I just laughed and said that it is easy to entertain him when you are not his mom. You never know who you are going to end up with on a plane and I am eternally grateful that I was on a flight containing people who rather than being annoyed were more than happy to help me pacify my son. Sometimes you don't realize how much you rely on the kindness of others. Cael actually did very well given the circumstances, but I don't think I will be flying alone with him any time in the near future.

He doesn't get it (not yet anyway)

We opened Cael's Christmas gifts from Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Erica, Uncle Tim, Nolan and Makenzi yesterday and it is apparent that he still does not grasp the concept. He was more interested in playing with the wrapping paper, dog, boxes and tools than he was playing with his new presents.

As usual, everyone went overboard with their gifts giving him clothes, CD's, sleepers, eating utensils, toys, bibs and a top (Mommy really loved the top and so did Cael). He became more intrigued once we got everything out of the boxes and spent a good deal of time dancing to the music emanating from the different toys. He also got a four wheeler from Grandma and Grandpa that I think Ryan was having more fun with than Cael (I am sure that will change VERY quickly). 

Thank you to everyone for the wonderful Christmas presents. He doesn't get it this year, but by this time next year it will be a different story all together. I wanted to get one picture with all of his gifts so I decided to 'decorate' our tree with all of his new things. 

Eating out 101

Last night Ryan and I decided to go to dinner at Chili's after work. We sat down next to an older couple and something told me they weren't 'kid' people, but I didn't request to be moved to a different table. Cael has started screaming at a very high pitch when he doesn't get what he wants and last night was no exception. He is 13 months and Ryan and I are working on disciplining him, but there is only so much you can do at this age. At one point, Cael screamed and the guy next to us jumped. He got a really nasty look on his face, threw down his napkin and said 'that's it, I can't take this any more.' I understand that it isn't fun to be around a child throwing a temper tantrum, but Ryan and I weren't smiling and cooing at Cael like it was the cutest thing we had seen nor were we ignoring it and simply enjoying our dinner. Both of us were on edge, but again, there is only so much a person can do. Not to mention, they were getting ready to leave and they were at Chili's for crying out loud, what exactly did they expect? Last time I checked, Chili's was not a five star restaurant. I kept telling Ryan that I wished it didn't bother me as much as it did, but plain and simple, it does. I am not proud of the fact that my son is screaming in the middle of a restaurant, but I am also doing the best I can as a parent. I didn't need some guy making me feel worse than I already did. After the second comment, I turned to Ryan and started talking just loudly enough for them to hear me discussing the audacity of some people and how I couldn't believe the reaction and that he was just a little boy. You get the picture. Hopefully, I got my point across and if not, oh well, it made me feel better. As Ryan and I left the restaurant we decided it might be awhile before we attempt to go out to eat again. I am not condoning Cael's behavior, but at the same time, I am not going to defend the actions of someone who can't just get his check and leave without making comments that were simply rude and uncalled for. I suppose this is just life with a young child and I should prepare myself for the opinions of people who cannot (and will not) empathize with the situation.

Faster

Cael loves to be pushed around on his dump truck. Ryan was pushing him all over the house and he would move his little feet (even though he couldn't keep up) and grin. Any time Ryan stopped, Cael would grunt his disapproval and squeal for more. A couple of times Ryan tried to make Cael push himself and he wanted nothing to do with it. Ryan added to the fun with his great sound effects and by taking the occasional corner on two wheels. The dogs and I had a blast chasing them all over the house trying to snap pictures. Of course, Cael REFUSED to look at the camera long enough for me to get a shot, but I did manage to get some pretty cute ones.

Too cute!

Ryan, Cael and I went for a walk a couple of weekends ago. It was pretty cold so we made sure to bundle Cael up. Before we left, I took this picture and I love it!! I love it when I take a random picture and it ends up really capturing something. I love his expression, I love the angle of the camera. I love how he looks as snug as a bug in a rug! Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I do and I hope it doesn't lose anything in 'translation'.