What's Up Doc?

My little boy is chin deep in drool! Teething is an interesting period in a baby's life. Caleb started teething a few weeks ago and since then, we have tired almost everything to help him find relief from the discomfort. We've tried the Tylenol, the frozen washcloth, the teethers (both frozen, chilled, and room temp), the teething tabs, the Orajel......and the chilled and peeled carrot. Believe it or not, the carrot works wonders (thanks Amanda).



It's amazing to watch Caleb grow up right before our eyes. He's really starting to notice his feet and he has learned how to lean over and grab them and he tries to put them in his mouth. Sometimes I look over and just see him staring at them. He grabs at toys, hair, his bottle, my cell phone, the TV remote, and anything else he can get his hands on (and then tries to eat it). He's learning to roll over on his sides and onto his back from his belly. He's also determined to never lay flat on his back! He can lean up and pull himself up very well now. He's reaching for his rubber ducky in the bathtub too. These are just a few of the many things I've seen change just in the past week or so! As I'm blogging, I'm watching him play in his exersaucer that just weeks ago he couldn't stand up in or reach any of the toys and now he's all over the place in it! He's also sleeping in his own bed now in his own room. Finally, he's in the room we worked so hard on.



My mom and dad were able to visit last weekend and that was the first time they had sen him in six weeks! Needless to say they were amazed at how much my boy had changed. It's funny. Normally, if you're around someone every single day, you don't notice small changes that over time add up to a lot. However, even though I'm around Caleb everyday, I see those little changes and I cherish each and every one of them, no matter how small.



Caleb is now out of his exersaucer and asleep in my arms as I'm typing. It's amazing all the things I've learned how to do with a baby in my arms. I can wash bottles, eat, sleep, clean, do laundry, and pump while holding Caleb. Shoot, I've even mastered how to go to the bathroom holding him....not that any of you needed to know that, but hey, you try it sometime and you'll understand it's something to brag about.



All in all, I look at each passing day as one I'll never get back and I try to make the best of them, even the hard days. There are so many stories that touch my heart in a different way now than they would have before Caleb. A student of mine had a baby and within a week, it died. Another friend of mine has a friend that gave birth to a stillborn baby at 37 and 1/2 weeks. I had Caleb at 38. Stories like this break my heart in a way that I've never felt before and I thank God each night for allowing me to have Caleb here with me instead of with Him. I know these stories would have been sad to hear about before I had Caleb, but now it's just different and until you have a child, you just don't feel this feeling. I know that I could lose my son, or any family member, at any time and it makes me realize how much I take them for granted. Stop and be thankful.

R