It's been 5 wonderful years!

Five years ago today, I met Greg. We were introduced by a lady who was in the same Sunday School class as Greg's mom. His mom continued to repeat that she wished her son would meet a good Christian girl. The lady I knew talked with me about it before she recommended me. Greg began to email me. We emailed for a few weeks before we had our first event filled date on December 29, 2004. I was working at a daycare and was soooo nervous the entire morning I could hardly stand it. I had never been like that before. He picked me up at my house early in the afternoon and gave me a rose. We went to Pasadena and watched "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King." I had never seen any of the other movies, so I was lost. We were suppose to have dinner at Gringo's after the movie. On our way to eat, Greg was speeding. How many tickets have you gotten since then Greg? Anyway, we was pulled over. I ended up having to rescue my date. We ended up eating at Tia Maria's in Baytown due to the late hour. Greg was embarrassed about the evening. He continued to call me and 5 years later here we are with 1 precious child together, 1 one the way, a beautiful home, 2 dogs, and 1 cat. I love you very much Greg. Thank you for 5 wonderful years together, except that time you broke up with me.... right before I had to take a really hard math final in college. Anyway, you got it together and realized how much I meant to you. Love you.

Chick-fil-A

I love Chick-fil-A. Tonight Caleb and I shared a 12 piece nugget meal. I think I have started something with him. I began dipping things earlier this week in ketchup. Now he has to have his food dipped in some type of sauce. Tonight he loved the BBQ sauce. As for me, I tried to Chick-fil-A sauce and it was yummy! We ate everything.

Poor Jackson

Well, Jackson was scheduled to undergo "the change" tomorrow. Since we adopted him from the animal shelter, they require us to get him fixed within 30 days. I made an appointment for him to get fixed and declawed tomorrow. Last night I noticed he had blood on his legs. I realized it was coming from his nose. Jackson has been sneezing a lot lately and we contributed it to the vaccine that Greg gave him because part of it had to be squirted up his nose. Greg called the vet this afternoon to talk with them about the bleeding. They stated this isn't normal and we may want to bring him in today because if he is sick, they will not perform surgery on him tomorrow. Anyway, the bleeding was coming from his mouth. He had a cut inside his mouth which was causing him to swallow the blood, therefore it was coming out through his nose. Upon further examination, the vet noticed he had bruises on his inner thighs. This was what concerned him. He stated it could be a sign of rat poison. Well, we don't have rats or mice therefore do not have the need to have the products. We do not know his living conditions prior to 12/18 when he was brought into the shelter. After 2 shots, 2 antibiotics sent home, and $144 later, we will have to wait to have his surgery. We are hoping this is his only problem and the medicine will take care of him.

Cravings

My cravings with this pregnancy have been totally different than when I was pregnant with Caleb. With Caleb, I couldn't stand any type of seafood for a while, but still loved steak. I also craved fruit with him. With this pregnancy, I have eaten seafood a lot. Steak is my absolute favorite, but I don't want it. I did eat a small piece on Christmas Day at my parents because it is our tradition to have steak on Christmas Day. It smelled awesome, but was just not what I wanted. I have been craving french fries lately. I ate them on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. I also crave Cranberry Slushes from Sonic. They are awesome. Caleb and I were on our way home last night from Walmart and I had to turn around and go to Sonic to fulfill my craving.

Christmas Activities

Caleb opening up a puzzle.

Caleb loves his Radio Flyer Red Wagon.

Alyssa opening her stocking at my parent's house (Gaga and Granddaddy).

Caleb playing with something... not the toys he had just gotten.

Caleb sitting in Gaga's lap. She always reads to him. I think he knew he was getting a book.

We had a very enjoyable Christmas. It began on Friday, December 19th at my father in-law's house. We celebrated the holidays with Greg's mom on Saturday, and spent the rest of the days at my parents house. We had our time at home Christmas morning before heading to my parents for lunch. The night ended with Greg, me, Alyssa, and Caleb eating dinner at IHOP because it was one of the only places opened in Baytown.

The Family Christmas Present

Greg and I have been talking for a while about getting a cat. Don't really know why we need a cat since we have two huge Weimaraners and possibly about 7-8 puppies that may be with us for a while if Greta is pregnant. Anyway, Greg has actually been wanting a Toger which is a mini tiger...... I don't think so. But, he decided a regular cat would be just fine.

We went to a pet store on Tuesday to see if they had any cats. We had actually considered selling them a weimaraner puppy when we bred for the first time, but the puppy was way too big for their kennels. Anyway, they had 3 cats which were actually stray! Greg decided he did not want them to make $20 off a stray. We drove over to Petco just to see if they sold animals. We talked with a worker who was on her way to work and she told us they work with the Humane Society and if we bring the paperwork, they would give us a coupon book. The Humane Society had several cats and dogs to choose from. We immediately knew Jackson was the cat for us. He was very friendly and was not asleep in his litter box. An employee had made a mistake and listed him as a female. As Greg was about to fill out the paperwork, he decided to look the cat over and noticed the difference. He asked the man behind the desk to double check. It was confirmed that Jackson was a boy. He has done extremely well in our home. He loves to cuddle and follows us around like a dog. He has not met Fritz and Greta. We will wait until the backyard dries up and they are allowed back in the house. Of course, they will have their fully charged shock collars on the highest setting when they meet the newest member of the family. I hope it goes OK.

Cookie Thief

Last night we had Christmas with Greg's dad and that side of the family. Billy and Carolyn had a card table set up with the dessert (several kinds of cookies). Well, Caleb saw what was on the table when someone was holding him. We would see him walking around the house with a cookie in his hand. We asked who got it for him, but no one had. This happened several times. We finally witnessed Caleb reaching up and grabbing cookies. He was too short to see what he was grabbing, but he knew what was there. It was actually funny watching this little hand reach up and grab a cookie. Of course, he ate too many and did not sleep well at all.

Time to go shopping

I can't believe Christmas is 2 weeks away. I am nowhere finished with my shopping. It is so hard having a 1 year old, working full time, and being pregnant. I am worn out after one store. Greg is going deer hunting this weekend, so mama and I are going shopping. My plan is to get everything taken care of on Saturday so when next week is over, I can relax. Two whole weeks of not having school!!!!!

Let it snow, let it snow...

It actually snowed tonight!!! Greg is working nights, so he was not here. I knew it had been sleeting some earlier in the night. I let the dogs outside around 8pm and saw snow! I quickly got Caleb dressed so he could see snow for the first time. Of course, he didn't know what it was. It did not enjoy the snow because it was his bedtime. Once 8pm hits, he gets tired. I held him one time outside and he held his hand out to catch the snow. I sent Greg a text and told him I had just finished taking pictures of Caleb in the snow and he wanted me to send him a picture. Well, I was taking them with my camera. We once again went outside (this time in the backyard) to take snow pictures. I took a couple of pictures with my phone which did not please Caleb. We went inside and I put his night-nights on and he was out. I walked outside again and kids were outside throwing snowballs. I was really waddling in the snow and I still have 6 more months to go.

I called my parents to see if it was snowing at their house. Mama was still at church practicing for the Christmas program, but daddy was home. When I asked him if it was snowing at his house, he said, "I don't know? Is it?" I had to tell him I did not live there, but it was snowing at my house. He checked the front yard and it was covered in snow. He discovered the same thing when he checked the backyard. I guess he may have finally found out it was snowing once mama got home.

The sound of a beating heart

I had my second doctor appointment yesterday. After waiting a long time, I finally saw the doctor. I wasn't able to see my Dr. because she was delivering a baby. I was able to hear the heart beat. It is such a precious sound to hear it. You know something is inside of you, but until you see the baby and hear the heart beat we sometimes don't realize the miracle growing inside of us. Hopefully next month we will find out if it is a boy or a girl.

We finally have a walker!!!!!

Caleb is finally walking! He has been walking for a couple of weeks now. It started with a step every once and a while and he has finally succeeded in walking. It almost seems as if he is wanting to run. He looks way to little to be walking. My wonderful mother-in-law offered to but his first walking shoes as she has done with her other grandchildren. Greg and I went to Stride Rite on Wednesday and bought him a pair of super cute brown shoes. He loves his shoes.

News....

So, I haven't blogged in a long time. I have been extremely tired once I get home from work. I don't know why I would be tired..... teaching 60 9 and 10 year old kids, chasing a 1 year old around the house, and trying to think of something to cook for dinner. Not to mention..... I'M PREGNANT!!!! We are 13 weeks pregnant although I know my ticker says 12 weeks. When I went to my first Dr. appointment, the ultrasound showed I was 1 week further than I thought. The due date is 6/12/09. My Dr. is keeping it at the 12 week due date. So far everything looks fine. The baby actually looked like a baby. I tried to scan the picture, but at this time, the scanner is not working. I go back on Thursday for my next appointment. She will keep a close eye on me towards the end and there is the possibility I may be on bed rest at the end to keep me from going into labor early as I did with Caleb. I think we have a trend at our house.... Caleb was born during a tropical storm, celebrated his first birthday during Hurricane IKE which resulted in Baby #2 who will be born during hurricane season.

Caleb truely is a monkey

My wonderful in-laws watched Caleb for us today. My babysitter was unable to do it yeah for us Billy and Carolyn came home from their camping trip last night. Well, Caleb was taking a nap and woke up. Carolyn heard him playing and decided to leave him there for a couple more minutes. Of course, I have done this many, many times. Billy decided to go check on him. Boy did he find a surprise. Caleb was playing with his poop. It was all over him. I asked Caleb in the car if he played with his poop and he told me "no no". Once I got home, I asked Greg "Don't monkeys also play with their poop?"

The Stairs

Caleb and I were at my mom's house tonight since Greg was on nights. Granny was in town, so it was a great time for her to see Caleb. Mama and daddy just had new hardwood floors installed and Caleb had a great time crawling around the house. I was going upstairs to show my mom a funny youtube video I had seen the night before about a little boy biting his brother's finger. I decided to see what Caleb would do on the stairs. He first looked around to see if he was going to get a "no, no". I stayed right behind him to make sure he didn't fall. He climbed the entire first set of stairs and almost the second set. It is time for them to get a gate!

No, No!!!

No is a word that Greg and I have to frequently say to Caleb. He understands the word, but often chooses not to obey it. Caleb has begun throwing his food on the floor when he doesn't want it. We are trying to teach him to leave it alone which is difficult for a 1 year old to understand. Last night Caleb was eating and of course, began to throw food on the floor. Greg told Caleb "no" and he stuck out his bottom lip as far as it would go. I have to admit it is awfully cute when that bottom lip sticks out. Anyway, as Greg was telling him no, he grabbed another piece of food and was very sneaky when he throw it on the floor. We were not sure at first if he actually threw it, but we found it under his highchair. Of course I had to turn my head and laugh especially when he gave us that "What did I do?" look.

I really do believe he is going to be like his daddy.

Caleb's First Haircut

Caleb had his first haircut today. I had been wanting to let it grow out, but decided to get it cut. I actually had the courage today to get it cut. We were lucky because Sports Clips was open. Greg also needed a haircut, so Caleb went first and then Greg went. He began crying and they gave him a lollipop which calmed him down briefly. He looks soooo cute now. He looks like a little man.

Happy Birthday Caleb!!!!

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY MY SWEET BABY BOY!!!

Caleb turned 1 year old on Saturday, September 13th. He was born during a tropical storm and celebrated his 1st birthday during a hurricane. I made cupcakes the night before the storm hit because I knew my previous plans of going out to eat on his birthday would not be happening.

We grilled chicken with our neighbors. I bought a present for Caleb to open. He loves his train. Caleb really enjoyed his cupcake. He even licked the plate.

Caleb, mama and daddy love you sooo much. You have been a great blessing to us. Thank you for being a precious son. Happy 1st birthday!

Hurricane Ike

We survived Hurricane Ike. Greg had training at work on Thursday and only stayed for 1 hour and was dismissed to go home to prepare for Ike. I went to work on Thursday knowing school was cancelled on Friday only to find out that we would be having early dismissal. (Yes, it was a movie day.)

Once I arrived at home, our lovely neighbors had helped Greg put the boards on our windows. I decided to brave Walmart and get a few things. Caleb's birthday was Saturday and I did not want him to be without a present. After all, he did have to celebrate his birthday during a hurricane.

On Friday, we would go outside and check on the weather. The neighbors also came outside and we would chat a little bit and then go inside. Greg went outside and saw some kids having fun. He decided to join in the fun with a skateboard and an umbrella.

We did not have any major damage. We lost a small section of our fence and the other side is leaning, but it is still standing. The palm trees were able to handle the wind. We lost power right after midnight on Friday. We also didn't have water, but thankfully it was restored Saturday night. Greg and I stood in line for several hours on Sunday in hopes of finding a generator only to find out they went to other Home Depot stores because they were open. Greg got up at 4am on Monday morning and was able to secure a generator from Lowe's. I always liked Lowe's better than Home Depot. We have made the best out of the situation. We have had cool air and great meals. We have gotten together with 2 other families and cooked out every night. We really have enjoyed ourselves. Power was restored on Tuesday and we were very excited. Internet!!!! We watched TV while the generator was on, but did not turn on the computer.

Rock-A-Bye-Caleb

Caleb actually let me rock him to sleep yesterday. He decided this summer he was a big boy and did not need mama rocking him. I usually just lay him in his crib and he will fall asleep. I have missed being able to rock him. I enjoyed every rock yesterday.

Oops, He Did it Again...

Caleb was caught eating dog food again. I promise, we really do watch our son. He just loves that dog food. It is hard to tell, but there are wet crumbs of dog food on his chin. He actually had a chance to swallow all of it this time before I washed his mouth out.

Caleb will eat anything

Caleb woke up around 7:30am on Saturday. I fed him a bottle and let him play while I cooked breakfast (which I never do). He crawled under the table in the kitchen and I thought, "He's ok." I checked on him again and saw him standing by the tv trays right next to Fritz and Greta's dog food. You guessed it. I saw him chomping on something. I ran over to him to see dog food crumbs and slober on his chin. We ran to the sink and I began washing his mouth out. He was quite upset with me because he was not finished with his food. I was gagging the entire time because that just grosses me out. Greg says he buys great food that has lots of protein in it. It is called Extreme Athlete. So, if Caleb because a famous athlete, we know what helped contribute to his success.

"Mama"

Caleb started saying mama last week. He still has not said "Dada" yet!!!! When Greg hears him say mama, he tells him not to say bad words. I think he was hoping Caleb would say dada first. He also will say hi as he is waving. He is just too cute.

Caleb is 11 months old!

Caleb is 11 months old today. The time has flown by. It seems like it was yesterday he was coming home from the hospital. Caleb, mama (which you already know how to say) and dada (keep on working on it) love you very much. You have brought so much joy to our lives. I can't believe you are going to be 1 next month.

He drinks out of a straw!

Caleb has finally learned how to drink out of a straw. We have been using a strawing to draw up water and give him a drink when we go out to eat. He would only suck the water out of a straw if we were holding it and placing it in his mouth. Well, today after church, he finally drank out of the straw by himself. Grand-daddy decided to try and see if he would do it. HE DID! We were so proud of him. I brought his cup home so daddy could see him be a big boy. Greg has been on nights and was not able to eat with us. Caleb showed daddy his trick and he was very proud of him. I will post a picture of him drinking out of a straw when I get one.

We are soooo proud of our big boy. By the way, he stood for about 15-16 seconds by himself.

Tropical Storm Edouard

Tropical Storm Edouard hit Baytown on Tuesday, August 5th. The news informed us it would be a good storm. Greg and I went to Walmart Monday night like the rest of the town to get prepared. I really just wanted to make sure that Caleb was taken care of. We needed enough diapers, wipes, and formula in case Walmart and Target were hit hard by the storm. Many of the aisles in Walmart were bare. We really didn't get too many things for us. We already had two jugs of water from the last storm. The storm wasn't even bad. The satellite never even went out! This was amazing because on Sunday we did lose reception briefly during a thunderstorm.

It rained really hard, but it wasn't bad. My sweet, precious husband even went to Walmart during the storm because my heating pad had gone out and my neck was hurting me really bad. Thank you Greg for thinking of me, buying a new, really big heating pad, buying and rubbing Icy Hot on my neck. I love you very much!

This was the first storm Caleb was present for. Caleb was still in the tummy for the last tropical storm that swept through Baytown, Humberto. Of course, he wanted to be here for that storm. That is why he decided to come 5 weeks early. At first the Dr. had a different plan, but later sided with Caleb and let him come right on out. Well, he came out 18 hours later. The funny thing was that I told my teaching partners that I would be having a baby the night of the storm because the weather has a tendency to make people go into labor. I guess I should have kept my mouth shut!

Here is a picture of "Caleb's" palm tree blowing in the wind.

Vacation

Last month we went to Brenham to the Blue Bell Creamery. After that, we drove to La Grange and spent the night. The next morning we went to Jersey Barnyard. This was the coolest farm. Belle, one of the cows on the Blue Bell commercials, lives there. It is a working farm where they milk cows. We went on a guided tour. It was extremely hot. Alyssa got to feed animals.

She was able to bottle feed a calf. We went on a tractor ride to where they milk the cows. All three of us milked a cow.

Caleb slept throughout the tractor ride. We had an awesome time at the Jersey Barnyard.

Opening Cabinets

Caleb has begun exploring the house. Back in March or April, he and I made a mad dash for Target after I caught him trying to unplug the TV. I felt it was time to baby proof the house. I immediately filled every visible electrical outlet with outlet covers. He still likes to look at them, but at least he can't put anything in them. He has recently discovered he can open the kitchen cabinets. Greg and I will hear him in the kitchen opening and closing the cabinets while laughing. Greg has told him "no" which usually results in a lip that is poked out for a mile. Greg installed three cabinet latches. Caleb has tried to get them opened. After trying to open one of the cabinets several times, he finally got discouraged and crawled away.

Beginning to Blog

So, I decided to start blogging because baby Caleb does so many crazy things, that I wanted to write it down. He will be 11 months old next week and is in to EVERYTHING! I think he is going to be like his daddy. From what I hear, Greg liked to explore a lot as a young child. I think he finally got out of his exploring years once we got engaged.