snippets

we took caleb to a 'farm' a few weeks ago, trying to get him out and explore the local kid-friendly stuff before we get, well, busy. this 'farm' sounded more like a petting zoo, but when we showed up, we found out it was definitely more non-petting zoo-like, and about twice as much money as it should have been. still, caleb was more than satisfied with the experience.

a 'hamul.' caleb's been honing his camel impressions since then.

'zeebas' are one of his favorites

the llamas kept their distance despite him humming at them to come over

a 'doat'

too in awe to even try to say bison

the grand finale - driving the 'twatwuh'

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this is the splash park that we LOVE  on base. when the bigger kids aren't blasting him in the face with water guns, or telling him to move from the smaller jets of water (the bigger ones are a bit too much still) so they can play with them, or providing really lovely examples by standing directly over the jets and screaming AHHH! MY BALLS! MY BUTT! yes, thank you so much for using the park as your own personal bidet.  i have had the thought so many times while there.... where is your mother??? (usually sipping starbucks and chatting it up with the mother of the other unruly kids.)

i only wish the weather would have let us get some more play time out of it. there have been many days when it wasn't warm enough until it was too sunny, or it was too rainy, or just too chilly. they close it down at the end of the month, and we'll be lucky i think if we get to go even once again before then. but i have big plans for this place next summer, letting caleb run around while i sit in the shade with the baby. probably sipping a starbucks. (but actually keeping an eye on my kid.)

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about a week ago, caleb gave me a flower for the first time (without instructions from dad, that is.) he was playing outside on his new climber when all of a sudden he picked a 'flower' walked over to me, held it out and said, 'hee doh!' (here ya go!) i thought i was going to cry.

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yesterday at breakfast caleb slid his sippy cup of milk right next to his 'big boy cup' of juice and declared it to be a 'cup family.' later in the day he assembled a 'car family' and a stuffed 'animal family.' he also knows that noah is supposed to be coming very, very soon and is talking about him more and more. i think he is ready for his brother.

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it is getting harder to discern what caleb is saying these days because every day he is trying to say new words he never tried at all before. he'll be saying 'faf' and i'll be going through the options, five, five what? frog? fire? and he's getting totally frustrated at my incompetence. i eventually figured out he was trying to say 'drive.' but at least he has a 'b' on his 'bus' now, and today he wanted some of the 'boobies' i was stirring into our BLUEBERRY waffle batter.  

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part of my 'nesting' behavior was more caleb than noah focused, and a big part of that was making sure he had at least some cold-weather clothes in the next size up so he wouldn't be stuck with t-shirts and shorts when we hit highs in the 60's. here he is in his new jammies - i personally think he is cutest when in his pajamas.

unless it is just in diapers and upside down.

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caleb has been very interested in songs lately, they're a vital component of our bedtime and naptime routines, and he's BIG into making requests. the only problem is, i'm not a lyricist, and caleb does not stick to requesting actual, easy, pre-made 'sawns.'  he will request on-the-spot songs about anything from his clothie, to the color blue, to zebras, to a dump truck. luckily he does not seem to care if the songs have any rhyme, cohesive melody, or even sensible lyrics. still, if anyone has some sort of song-topic resource index i can get my hands on, i'd love to have something rattling around in my head for the odd song about turtles instead of having to bumble through one all by myself.

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i have (probably) less than a week now (especially since i was threatened with induction thanks to my pregnancy-induced high blood pressure) to give caleb my undivided love and attention, and as much as i am looking forward to meeting noah and know i will fall completely in love with him (as if i haven't already) i know some part of me will miss it being just the two of us. i've spent probably less than 72 full hours away from caleb in his whole life, and most of that was while he was napping, in bed, or when i had surgery on my hand. maybe that's not a good thing, and i know it will be good for both of us to make the adjustment, and that the love we will get from and give to noah will be more than enough to compensate, but i know it will be hard, very hard at times. and that part, i am not looking forward to as much. i also feel guilt about knowing i'll never be able to give noah the full focus and attention i was able to give caleb when he was born. 

i don't know if other moms, or many moms, feel this way when their second and subsequent children come along, all i know is that kids with siblings and their moms all over the world come out on the other side feeling overwhelmingly blessed, and i'm sure we will, too.