Halloween: Go Baylor Bears!

Firsts

A First for Caleb and for Heidi

I was holding Caleb in my arms while talking on the phone. He reached out and grabbed a plant on a shelf in the kitchen. The whole pot fell onto the floor and shattered. It made a load crash, but Caleb didn't seem to mind. Heidi ran over and started chewing on chunks of the sharp terra cotta pot. I had to chase her down to take them away from her. She is officially a strange dog!

Heidi Makes a Call

Not sure who Heidi was calling, maybe the doggie help line.
We've wondered why our phone bill went up a little.

Jon's Fun

Carving an old orange bell pepper- my house smells like burning bell pepper and vanilla candle.

Playing with our cute son! Caleb has been all smiles since Jon brought him a souvenir back from Lubbock.

Zoo Days

Gianna, Caleb, and Aiden pose for a picture in front of the fish tank at the zoo. Several friends and I went to the zoo with our babies this morning. They are all still a little young to really pay attention to the animals. I think that Brooke, Emily, and I were quite a sight taking pictures of them in their strollers in front of the fish, but we (babies included) enjoyed a walk through the zoo in the cool FALL weather!

Oh My Goodness!!

I just went to check on Caleb in his crib during nap time, as he was NOT napping. I walked into his room, and there he was SITTING in his crib looking at me through the slots! I guess Jon and I will be lowering the crib all the way tonight! He has never gone from laying down to sitting before. I guess it is true that you never know when and where a baby is going to do something for the first time, and you have to be prepared for it! WOW!

Preview of Coming Fall Attractions

It's the first day that Texans can almost say it is cold out. We can definitely say that it is cool. I told Caleb this morning that it is a "blistery" day out; at which point, Jon corrected me and said it is a "blustery" day out. So like any good Texan, I have spent time taking out my winter clothes. In the above pics, Caleb models one of his new fall outfits that Grandma Pace picked out for him. He was also excited about wearing different clothes, so he made sure to "soil" his first outfit of the day. We won't go into too many details about how that happened! Anyways, after a hot summer, we are enjoying the cooler weather.

What's for lunch?

Anyone want to take a guess as to what was for lunch? It shouldn't be too hard!

Seven Months! Wow!

Wow! I can't believe Caleb is already 7 months old. All of you brand brand new moms out there, enjoy your newborns. Time flies! Caleb is doing lots of new things as you can tell from the above pictures. He can sit up a lot of the time now. He always eventually falls over, but he definitely sits unsupported for awhile. His new favorite activity is pushing up on his hands and knees and rocking back and forth. Jon and I have both found ourselves giving him crawling lessons. What in the world are we thinking? We still have some major childproofing to do! Although Caleb isn't crawling, he rolls around quite a bit. His new thing is to roll towards whatever exit I take after I leave the room. With all that rolling and our lack of baby proofing, I have caught him sucking on a cardboard box, a door stop, tissue paper, and various baskets. It is amazing how babies want whatever is NOT a toy. Currently Caleb is grabbing at the keyboardakjdlkfjlk! I bought him a little toy cell phone since he loves the remote control and phone, but he knows it isn't a real phone and isn't very interested in it. He seems to really like texture right now. He loves to touch the wall, baskets, pillows, and Heidi. It is amazing to see the learning and thinking process by the look on his face. We are completely loving this crazy active kid! I feel more attached to him everyday. I can only imagine all the fun the rest of this year and beyond will be!

Friends

Today I spent the day watching our friend Jackson Durand, who is 6 months old. I was anticipating it being a challenge to watch two 6-7 month old babies. It turned out to be a breeze! Caleb mostly slept when Jackson was awake, and Jackson mostly slept when Caleb was awake. I did have to feed Jackson with Caleb watching, which Caleb did not appreciate. Even though he had just eaten a great deal, he just didn't like sitting there watching someone else be fed by his mom. Jackson is quite obviously the second child and Caleb is quite obviously the first. Jackson is content and entertained to lay on the floor by himself with toys. On the other hand, Caleb wants me in sight at all times. I thought that I was really trying to make him an independent child, but I guess he just gets my attention at a seconds notice. The boys enjoyed laying on the floor "talking" to each other. It made me really want to be in their heads knowing what they were thinking! One thing is for sure, whether they like it or not, they will be seeing a lot more of each other. From what I can tell, they do like it (as long as Caleb knows he has my attention!).

Great Distance Video

MOM, PHONE HOME

Mom,

We know you have some big things going on, but you need to check in with one or more family members. More than likely you are doing fine in Tres Piedras and you don't get cell phone reception unless you climb a tree or you lost your cell phone charger and the cabin probably still doesn't have an address and therefore no land line. If not for your blog posting; however, we would be very worried about you.

We could use an update, for example:

Are you officially retired?
Snowed in at Tres Peidras already?
What happened to your phone, does it not work in TP?
Still sorting out your delinquent children's possessions they left at the house?
Enamored with the Balloon Fiesta?
Stuck on I40 with the RV?
Need help chopping wood for warmth?
Trapped in Taos Earth Ship?

All Dressed Up

Here are a few pictures of us all dressed up before church yesterday. Jon and Caleb's outfits coordinated so well that I had to grab the camera!

Instant Swimmer --- Just Add Water

We know Caleb has an affinity for the water, perhaps he will be a swimmer like his uncle Eric. This is despite the several times I have already dunked him in the pool ( see previous posts). The other day I put some water in the sink he could splash his feet, the next time I took him in the bathroom to look in the mirror I couldn't get him out of the sink.

So Do They Have American Seasoning in Greece?

If so what is it?
Arthur, can you help me out? Mara?
Note that it is an ancient Greek formula, I think that is my favorite part.
It actually is one of my favorite seasonings, I guess that is yet another reason for me to get over to Greece eventually.

Introducing the Graduating Class of 2025

Clockwise: Gianna, Aiden, Seth, Caleb, and Matthew

Grandpa and Grammy Come to Play

Well Jon says I am behind in the blogging, and that is because my parents have been in town for a little less than a week to visit. I think that they came to visit Caleb mostly, but we all had a nice time together. Caleb isn't much of a cuddler as he always wants to be looking around the room and squirming about changing positions. So he enjoyed playing with Grandpa Pace, who is an engineer. They played with the buttons on his watch, went around turning light switches on and off with Caleb's feet, and watched Grandpa's GPS as it told how to drive from ABQ to Waco in about 20 different languages (all which say to go to Dallas first!- my parents have driven out here 1-3 times for 9 years now- pretty sure they don't "need" a GPS!!!:). Caleb does seem to be facinated with electronic and mechanical things these days. When I am trying to rock him in his rocking chair, he can't stop arching his back to look at the lights on the ipod that is docked on the table nearby. This may just be typical baby curiousity, or maybe he will take after the Pace side and become an engineer someday!
Grammy Pace and Caleb had some good bonding time too. My mom is always a great help to me by changing diapers, feeding Caleb, getting him ready to go places, and just watching him so I get a little break. It is always a huge relief to take a shower and not be listening for crying! Caleb, Mommy, and Daddy loves his grandparents very much! Thanks for coming to visit!