Tickle Time

On those rare nights when Eli is home to see Caleb before bedtime, they routinely have tickle time.  There are few things that can melt my heart more :)

Sick Day

Well, the church nursery has done it again: it's given our kid a cold.  This happens nearly every time.  Ugh.  It's not exactly my favorite past time to take care of a sick kid.  Both my husband and my doctor say the same thing: "It's good for him!  It develops his immune system!"  They call it the silver lining.  I call it the most annoying thing I've ever heard.

The true silver lining, at least this time around, is that Caleb's cold made him sleep amazingly well last night.  I was astonished since he usually sleeps worse when he's sick.  But he completely zonked out, which was exactly what this mama needed.  (His sleeping habits took a turn for the worst this past month.  He went from waking up just once overnight, to twice, and now three times.  It's utterly exhausting, and just plain annoying, to have your infant regress so thoroughly in the sleeping department.)

Because he's congested and coughing and sneezing and snotting, we're having a sick day at home.  Sick days = movies and Tylenol.  While my favorite "sick day movies" are The Princess Bride and Pride and Prejudice, Caleb opted for something a little less girly (although I vow that he will be watching The Princess Bride many times in the years to come!).  Caleb currently loves – LOVES – Baby McDonald: A Day on the Farm by Baby Einstein.  He doesn't watch much TV, but I popped it in last week when I needed a Mama Break, and he went nuts over it.  He's seen a couple other baby videos, which have garnered limited interest, but this DVD has evoked intense delight in our son.  He squeals, he coos, he bounces.  Apparently this kid wants to live on a farm someday.

When I tried to set him farther away from the TV, he greatly protested.  So I put him back and thought, "Whatever.  You're sick.  Stand inches from the screen and lose yourself in the cows and chickens.  We'll trust that your youth will save your eyesight for now."

Caleb typically enjoys taking Tylenol.  Not sure if that's a good thing in the long-run, but for now it's wonderful.  (He clearly gets this from me – I love the taste of Nyquil and lick the spoon clean whenever I'm sick and get to take it :) ).

   

At least it's a sunny day outside.  A cloudy, gloomy day on top of being sick is the worst.  But the sun is shining, the Tylenol is flowing, and the cows are mooing on the TV.  Could a sick day be any better than this?

Big Boy

Nearly everywhere we go, people comment that Caleb is a big boy.  They're right, of course, and I find it amusing to watch their reactions when I tell them how much he weighed when he was born (10lbs, 2oz).  It's like a game and I find it very entertaining!

Today we visited the doctor for Caleb's 9-month appointment.  Our big boy weighs 22lbs, 6oz, and is 30 inches tall.  That's right: our 9-month old is 2.5 feet tall!  He is Eli's boy for sure (Eli is 6'5").

We can't get enough of this moose baby!

Doctor in Training

On Friday we had the privilege of visiting Eli at work.  The nurses were delighted to see our baby, and Eli said they wouldn't stop talking about him after we left.  They were enamored with his smoochable cheeks and fat feet :)  And with his little scrubs too.  I thought it appropriate to bust these babies out for our visit to see Dr. Horn at the hospital.  Caleb was quite the highlight of the OB floor, which I suppose is high praise indeed!

Dr. Horn and Doctor-in-Training Moose Horn

Mama Time

For my health, for my sanity, we decided to hire a babysitter once a week so I can have some Mama Time.  A delightful college student has been coming every Thursday afternoon for a few hours to enjoy time with Caleb while I get away and breathe.  It's been much needed, especially since my husband has been working 80+ hours every week for the past two months.  This mama is too often alone, too often tired, too often without a moment to meet her own needs.  Life at home with an incredibly active infant is joyful, mesmerizing, and tiring, particularly since my just-as-tired husband is rarely home to help these days.  (Blast that residency!)

But now, on Thursday afternoons, I at least have a chance to breathe, to be Krista Lee and not just Mama.  I've been frequenting the library or the coffee shop, indulging in the oh-so-necessary chocolate chip cookie and accompanying hot chocolate, and working on my writing.  My time to write has taken a hit since moving to Duluth.  (Apparently being pregnant and subsequently caring for a baby aren't the most conducive circumstances to sitting still and focusing on being creative with the written word.)

So I'm cherishing these few hours every week.  It's nourishing to my soul and good for my creative side too.

It's A Great Day For Overalls

It was 20 below when we woke up this morning, not including the wind chill.  With the wind chill, it was 30 below.  But the sun was shining and the snow was beautiful and we were warm and cozy inside!

And upon waking up to a frigid winter day, we decided it'd be a great day to wear overalls.  Again.

Let's be honest, in this house, it's always a great day to wear overalls!  We don't need much of an excuse.  A day for running errands around town?  It's a day to wear overalls.  A day for lounging around the house?  It's a day to wear overalls.  A freezing winter day in Duluth that keeps us inside to play and play to our hearts' content?  It's a day to wear overalls.

Since the freezing cold temps have kept us homebound today, I was bound to go a little stir crazy.  Just a little.  Just enough to start singing and decide it was time to write new lyrics to that song stuck in my head.  Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you: "It's A Great Day For Overalls" sung to the tune of that popular song by Travis Tritt.