My Buddy

Cal got to spend some time with his buddy Mac this weekend. They seem to really like each other. When I'd bring Cal downstairs to see Mac after they'd each been napping or sleeping for the night, the reunion was priceless. They would both smile, talk, and flap their arms at each other. Calvin would then climb out of my arms to walk over to Mac to play.

Calvin enjoyed playing with Mac by putting "hats" on his head (any toy placed on a head is a hat to Calvin), showing him his blocks, and telling him long-winded stories. I wish I could have understood them! Mac enjoyed using Calvin as a balancing tool and as someone to talk to and watch.

Mealtimes were hilarious! The boys reached for each other and food on the other's tray. They both ate well, but had very different eating styles. Cal's food stayed in neat little piles, and he picked one piece up at a time using only two fingers from his left hand. Mac's tray was immediately mixed up into a concoction, and he utilized all of his digits in the eating process =).

We spent some time outside since the weather was so nice. For some reason, reaching for objects in the grass was fun for both boys. Mac sifted through the grass for leaves (before trying to eat them), and Cal stood on the concrete patio and threw a golf ball into the grass to retrieve it over and over again (always trying to keep as much of his body on the concrete as possible).

Personal space was a non-issue for these little guys, but they didn't seem to mind. Somehow Mac and Cal ended up practically sitting in each other's laps for much of their playtime. I'm not sure when you learn how to estimate personal body space before taking a seat, but it seems to be more than a year. I'm so thankful for this sweet friendship at such a young age!

New Uses for Old Favorites

Calvin doesn't have many new favorite toys, but his old ones are being used for more complex purposes these days. The push-n-ride racer is no longer just something to be walked behind. Lately, it has been more of a roller coaster. Dan pushes Cal around the house at (what I think are) crazy speeds, rolling over anything that gets in the way. I think Dan has it under control, but Calvin always looks just as apprehensive as I feel until the ride stops and a big smile emerges across his face.

Tupperware is no longer something to be carried around, slobbered on, and stacked into little 2 or 3 container towers. It has now become just one of many mediums for construction. Here Cal has employed the use of many tupperware containers as well as 2 wooden spoons, a peek-a-block, a book, and a rubber scraper. Watch out Frank Lloyd Wright.

Containers and balls are still very important, but Calvin's tastes are becoming more and more specific. When dealing with objects to put into containers or carry around, he seems to prefer things that are orange. Is it possible to have a favorite color at 14 months? He likes the orange star better than the other shape-sorter shapes and the orange ring better than the other wooden tower rings, and when I fold diapers, he pulls the orange diapers out of the laundry basket first. Strange, but can't blame a guy. It is a nice color.

A Beautiful Saturday Afternoon

Spring has arrived here in Durham, and we have been spending a lot of time outside. Calvin has never "played" outside until the last few weeks, and he is definitely loving it! Like a dog, if I say "outside" or "walk" or any combination of the two, he immediately goes to a door and starts trying to pry it open while whining. This display suddenly turns to squealing with delight when I finally open the door.

Saturday was 70 and mostly sunny, and Dan was home! The stars were aligned. We had so much fun together as a family that afternoon. We started off with a "walk" around the neighborhood. Here is what it looked like:

Calvin held Dan's hand for most of the 300ish meter walk. It was sweet to watch him reach for Dan's hand when he had let go for a bit.

When walking on "dangerous" terrain, Calvin was so cautious. He held on tight to Dan's hand and walked slowly, taking little bitty steps until he was back on solid pavement.

And he was pretty distractible. I admit, there are a lot of interesting things that deserve a second look- dogs, cars, fire hydrants, cable boxes, leaves, cracks on the sidewalk, pine needles, shadows, Daddy's shoes, etc.

This is pretty typical:

Calvin is spending more and more time walking like he did here are the end of our walk. He's decided that he can do it on his own, and if we tell him to come a certain way, he runs in the opposite direction laughing. Hmmm... a sign of things to come?

We walked back up to our house like this. The little tropper made it almost the whole way around the block before tiring at the very end. =)

After Calvin's walk, Dan and I put the little buddy in the stroller and took a walk ourselves to a park. We thought we'd try Cal out in a playground swing for the first time. He's never enjoyed swinging...even as an infant, but we thought we'd give it a shot. This is about what he thought of it.

Though walking outside is certainly a new activity, the rest of Cal's interests are much the same no matter what the venue...containers and balls.

Pull-Along Snail and Some Serious Babble

This pull-along snail was given to Cal when he was just an infant (thanks Vidovic family!), and lately we've gotten it out. Calvin loves it! I would not have thought that he'd understand and appreciate the concept of pulling something along behind him, but he seems to get it. I love to watch him play in general, but there is something so sweet to me about watching him play with "Mr. Snail." Here are some of his favorite pulling styles.

The between-the-legs pull. I keep waiting for Cal to trip, but he has become pretty adept at it.

If I were Calvin, I'd call this one "Come on Little Buddy!" Cal pulls the string in short jerks getting the snail to move forward toward him. The sail usually eventually ends up upside down or mixed up in its string.

The side-by-side pull. This requires a bit of a constant salute on Cal's part. I wish I could get a head-on view of this.

I have not captured the last method...we'll call it "Snail goes for a ride." Calvin's posture in this picture can help you get the idea of how it is performed. Cal picks the string up high enough to elevate the sail. He walks around giving the snail a ride.

Calvin has had a lot to say recently. It never sounds exactly the same, but it is fair to say that he has graduated past the standard "eh!" He now says, "Ba" "Da" "Dis" "Ma" and other such syllables. He was trying to communicate something important to me this afternoon, but I apparently wasn't understanding.

Here are a few unposted pictures from February.

Cal loves riding in this carrier. The back pack works great with my increasing belly.

Dan dared to have Calvin sit up in the sled, and after a little practice, he enjoyed it!

It's a Boy!

I need to start with a confession. In the past, I have talked contemptuously about other blogs because of delinquent updating. And now here I am with no posts in February. There is no excuse for my pathetic showing (just like there is no excuse for Kyle and Sondra's 2 month hiatus). Good, I feel better now. =)

On to more important topics...

Baby #2 is officially 19 weeks old and decidedly a boy! We are so thankful to have another little guy coming! Not only do we just like little guys, but we are glad to get to reuse Cal's old stuff instead of going shopping. We are also open to name suggestions. The best we've gotten so far is Merle Bobby (thanks Uncle Ben!). Though, I'm not so sure I want to raise a NASCAR driver.

He would not sit still for the ultrasound technician to take many good pictures, so we are thinking we've got our hands full! Here's the best 4D picture we could get from the little mover. Don't be fooled, he was not sleeping.

Dan was pleased with this picture.

Lest Cal be upstaged by his little brother, I have good news about him, too (Sorry, no pictures, though)! He had an appointment with his ophthalmologist a couple weeks ago, and his left eye is doing incredibly well! According to the vision test for babies, Calvin's left eye is within the normal range (on the low side, but still!). We are so excited and thankful that God has improved Cal's vision in this eye so dramatically! It is hard to believe that it was blind just 8 months ago!