Week 28- big family reunion and FATHER'S DAY

This week was fun and busy. Caleb was at the babysitters on Wednesday morning (I worked 1/2 day Wednesday so we could leave town early for the family reunion) and I went to pick him up from her girls' swimming lessons. Of course it was POURING rain and I had to run in and get him then take him in the stroller back out to the parking lot, load him in the car, break down the stroller, then get in the car myself. We really looked like wet rats. I had several errands to run before we left town the next morning. A call to Aaron confirmed that it was going to rain all afternoon, so there was no point in going home to wait it out. Therefore Caleb and I just ran our errands wet and soggy. He thought it was funny to get re-soaked every time we got in and out of the car. It definitely made me wish for the days of the carrier - much easier and faster.

With pageant week last week and rain off and on for several weeks, our backyard looks like a rainforest. So Wednesday evening I am scurrying around, trying to get ready to leave town and I hear Lilah barking like crazy in the backyard. I put Caleb in the Exersaucer (screaming mad) and go out, ready to rip into the dogs because there is mud slung about 4 feet high onto the fence where they have been digging a lovely hole. Their collars weren't on so I had no way of dragging them away without getting totally covered in mud myself. Turns out there was a turtle along the fence line that our dogs decided they must have. Here's a shot of Lilah in all her muddy glory. You can tell she knows she's in big big trouble.

We headed to Kansas City on Thursday. Caleb was once again a great traveler with one exception. We stopped to feed him and get a snack for ourselves and I could tell that he had filled his diaper by the oh-so-pleasant aroma in the car. I quickly changed his diaper but was too late- it had already oozed onto his onesie and shorts. It is a challenge to change a leaky stinky diaper in the backseat of a car, FYI. I got halfway through the process and just let him hang out in his bib and fresh diaper. He looks so proud of himself (and just a little ornery, no?). A disclaimer...the car wasn't moving or even on at this point.

That night Caleb got to spend quality time with Aunt Debbie while Aaron and I went to Worlds of Fun theme park. It had been a long time since I had been on roller coasters and we had a really great time. There was no crowd- literally we just walked right on every ride. My favorite coaster from my childhood, the Orient Express, was gone which made me sad. But there were several fun new ones in it's place. Aaron didn't tell me until 1/2 way though that he's really not a roller coaster fan but he was a good sport and went along with me for a second round of all the coasters. Caleb and Aunt Deb had a good time together. Her newest grandbaby, Ada, had just been there so she still had lots of toys out for Caleb.


The next morning we got up and Caleb had a "first" experience...his first shower. He hadn't taken a bath the night before so we thought we'd clean him up before we headed to the reunion. It was actually more challenging than I had thought, especially the rinsing the hair part because he was just sputtering and gasping as the water came down his face. So then I laid him down and used a cup to rinse. Of course, I went to stand up and jammed my backside into the faucet. If you are curious to see the shape of Aunt Debbie's bathtub faucet head, it is nicely imprinted in black and blue on my booty. :)


Caleb has become a big time waller-er (as in rolls around the bed, etc). At one point Friday morning he ended up scooting his way up my belly and I thought it would make an interesting picture to show him at 6+ months in relation to the C-section scar. You can barely see the top half of the scar but it is crazy to think they squeezed all 8 pounds 15 ounces out of that tiny incision.

That afternoon we met my cousin Tiffany and her family at the Plaza for lunch. After yummy lunch at Baja 600, we did a little shopping and Caleb looked very at ease seeing the Plaza sights. I asked Aaron if he thought his company would ever need a KC branch (I'd move there in a heartbeat) but he said no.

Caleb and his cousin Julia hadn't seen each other since Christmas and it was entertaining to watch them interact. At the restaurant, they had been across the table in high chairs so there wasn't much interaction. However, it was a different story when we got to the hotel and let them play with each other. I got some video that's hilarious; I am laughing so hard while shooting it that it's all wobbly. At one point Julia (who just started crawling) is rocking back and forth on all fours and Caleb is grabbing for her bloomers from behind her. HA! However, my free dropshots.com account says I am over quota so I have to find a new way to post video. Watch for it later in the week.

When we were little, our grandma used to sew matching outfits for Morgan, our cousins Tiffany and Cortney, and myself. Well, I don't sew and neither does my mom so I bought matching pjs for Julia and Caleb to wear at the reunion. They looked too cute. She is one month and one day older than him and much more mobile but he seems to tower over her. At one point, I put him on his tummy and he started to roll over. He got most of the way over then Julia helped him get all the way turned over as she grabbed his pjs and pulled him on over. :)

Today is Aaron's first Father's Day so I'll take this opportunity to say what a great dad he is. And a great hubby too. For having no background in babysitting or childcare, he really is a natural with this 'dad' stuff. Caleb wore his "My Dad Rules" onesie today so that the world would know how wonderful his dad is. If I had a onesie that said "My Husband Rules", I would have worn it too. Here's a cute shot of Caleb napping shortly before we checked out of the hotel. Is it me or does he look like a giant?


I think I have mentioned before that I thought the drooling would slow down after his first two teeth came in. But apparently there is good reason that it has still been coming because his third tooth is pretty much here. As is the case with all exceptional children, he is not following the 'normal' tooth progression; this third one is coming in right of center on the bottom. When he's in a good mood, I'll try to snap a picture of it. Here's a picture from earlier this week of his drool-covered shirt and face. You'd think he was trying to tell us another tooth was on the way...duh.

OK, sorry for the forever-long post. I'll stop now. Have a great week!!