A Typical Day

Hey y'all! I'm guest posting my "Typical Day" over at The Houtz House Party. Go check out Kelly's site for what a typical day at the Big K house looks like.

Happy {10 Months} Caleb!

On 9.10.12, we officially hit the double digits...we have a 10 month old little man!!! Bryan and I met on September 10, 2005, and I asked Bryan, yesterday, if he ever imagined on the night we met that 7 years from then we would have a baby? He laughed, and said no. Having a baby was not on his mind at the time. It's fun to look back and see how much has changed in 7 years...we have the sweetest, cuddliest, happiest, most loving little boy ever!!! Praise God!

My sweet lover-boy Caleb,

You have the sweetest personality ever! You love to play in your playroom, but prefer to be on the lose in the house so you can crawl around like a wild man. You've found where we hide Ariel's dog bowls, in mommy's closet, so now we have to keep that door closed.  If the closet door is open you crawl like a speed-racer and stop to look at me and laugh just before you go into the closet. Oh yes, you are a smart and sneaky little man! You love to go to the back door and stand at the window and "talk" to the backyard. You love to look outside! Hopefully the weather will cool off soon, so we can spend some time outside. 

 

Your top two teeth are almost 100% out, and it looks like you will have a gap in between them...it looks so precious. You have one bottom tooth that just broke through the gum, so you now have 3 little teeth! Which means, you are able to eat more table food! We are slowly saying goodbye to all baby food, and you are now eating whatever we eat. So far you will eat ANYTHING! You are so easy! When Daddy says you can have sweets, I'll give you a cookie for being the BEST eater!

You've learned, from your Aunt Gabby, to make a "puchy" face. Aunt Missa says "fuchy face", but the name for the funny face comes from the spanish word "puchero" which means to pout, or english slang "stinky face". Whatever you want to call it, it's funny! We say show me your "puchy face" and you deliver that funny little face in the picture above!

You are starting to understand a few words and phrases this month. You know what "milk" means and you can recognize the sign language for "milk". Over Labor Day weekend, you started to sign "milk", but it was after you drank your bottle. Then, last week you woke up from nap and before I picked you up, you signed "milk". I was so HAPPY, and I skipped changing your diaper and gave you a bottle of milk immediately! I hope this means you will start signing more! You know what "bath time", "food", "ball", "dada", "Ariel", "kisses", "more", "cheerios", and "elmo" mean. 

You like to stand up a lot, but can only walk with your sit and stand toy. I'm ready for you to walk, because my arm muscles were not prepared to carry around a 25lb baby. You're still wearing 18month tops, and 24month bottoms, and 2T-3T hats. 

You are very active, a big wiggle worm, sometimes wild little man and we love every single thing about you! You are such a joy to us every day lover-boy! We love you very much, Caleb!

 

  Happy 10 Months, Caleb!

Happy {9 Months} Caleb!

I can't believe my baby boy is 9 months old TODAY!!! We started the day with our monthly photo opt, of course, and keeping this little man still is so hard now!

It took 9 long months to grow this baby boy in my belly, and yet these past 9 months have seemed to fly by! Bryan was able to go to the doctor's office with us today to help ease the terrible visit of shots. It was a Big K family affair!

Caleb's Stats:

Weight: 23.7 lbs
Length: 2 ft. 5.8 inches
Head: 18.5 inches
{Caleb is still in the 90% on weight and length, and his head was in the 100%...let's hope it's because he has a big, smart brain}

Sweet Caleb,

This past month brought the biggest changes...you are officially mobile!!! And we're both losing weight {you crawl away and I chase after}. You learned how to stand up first, and then a couple of days later you were crawling like a champ. It was like night and day. One second you were struggling to crawl and over a weekend you acted like you had been doing it all along. Daddy and I were so happy that you started to crawl on a weekend so we could see your "first" time together. 

You've said a new "word" this month too...no, it's not mama. You can say "baba". You will pick up a ball and say "baba, baba". I'm ready for you to say mama now!!!

Your two bottom teeth still haven't popped out. We can still see the white under the gums, but they are being stubborn and not breaking through yet. But, your top teeth seem to be coming out first instead. Not surprised. I'm learning that you like to do things on your own time and against the norm. Your top left tooth has popped out and we can see the top half of one pearly white. 

Your meal-times include more food now that you're burning calories by crawling. You eat 9oz of milk first thing in the morning, and 3 oz of cheerios. You eat 8oz of milk, 2oz of baby food, cheerios, and either a banana, blueberries, or other finger foods for lunch. Sometimes you have a "snack" bottle of 7-8oz after a nap {depends on the day and your schedule}, and at dinner you eat the same as lunch {and sometimes I'll give you food to try off my plate}. Finally you have one last 8oz bottle before bedtime. 

You give the sweetest hugs to daddy, your second mommy {MT who babysits in the morning while I'm at work}, and me. I hope you stay sweet and cuddly. This month has been a lot of fun watching you grow, and I love how you're becoming more responsive. I think you are starting to understand what I'm saying, and playtime is so much fun with you. 

We love you so much little man!

Caleb's Dedication

"I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord." 1 Samuel 1:27-28

 Most churches {well, most Baptist churches} have baby dedication ceremonies during church service at the member's church, however, The Village Church does things a little different. {I'm not saying it's better, it's just different.} The Village takes Biblical community serious, and therefore a lot of church "things" {including baby dedications} are done within our home groups {our small Biblical community, Acts 2:42-47, Hebrews 3:12-13, 1 Corinthians 12:12-31}. It makes our massive church seem small and intimate. We know each other well, love each other, and walk with God together. It's beautiful.

What's a baby dedication? This is how our church explains it:

"Your child's dedication to the Lord is a celebration with your community of a commitment made before the Lord. This is a commitment by the parents to raise the child in the ways of the Lord, but this is NOT in any way a statement of salvation for your child. Just as in other areas of life, walking in this commitment can not be done alone. It requires the help of others. For this reason you are to call upon the community of believers around you to help and hold you accountable to this dedication."

So, we met in a home as the Church body with our home group/Biblical community, where each family made a public promise to raise their children in a gospel-centered home.

My parents came in town at the last minute and were able to watch our public commitment!

We had a worship service led by some talented folks {and host home}...

...our home group leaders led the dedication...

...and one by one, we made these promises: 

{Dads}:

Do you promise to love the Lord deeply and teach your child Truth that leads to awe, worship and praise?

Do you promise to not provoke your child to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord?

{Dads}:

Do you promise to be the spiritual leader for your family, teaching them how a Godly man treats his wife, children and community and to daily pray for and with them?

{Moms}:

Do you promise to not underestimate your child’s ability to understand Scripture and their ability to worship?

 

{Moms}:

Do you promise to love and cherish your child as an example of the way Christ loves and cherishes us?

Do you promise to be the spiritual encourager for your family, teaching them how a Godly woman treats her husband, child and community and to daily pray for and with them?

{Parents}:

Do you promise to daily acknowledge that your child belongs first and foremost to the Lord?

Do you promise to daily give your child back to the Lord and acknowledge His sovereignty over their lives?

{Parents}:

Do you promise to not expect perfection but to encourage them to always do their best?

{Parents}:

Do you promise to daily be engaged and not just present in your home and in your child’s life?

{Parents}:

Do you promise to never give up on your role as mom and dad?

{Community}:

As a community of believers, do you promise to consistently pray for these parents to be the moms and dads that God created them to be?

{Community}:

Do you promise to hold them accountable to the commitments they made today and to challenge them when they are falling short?

{Community}:

Do you promise to consistently encourage them in their roles as parents and to celebrate victories together?

{Community}:

Do you promise to consistently pray for these children, that they will know Jesus and be doers of the Word and not just hearers?

I loved officially saying these promises, and I'm so glad my family made a quick trip to be there. It was a very special day in the Big K Fam!