Author: Squishy's Mom (Page 12 of 32)

Dear Caleb,

This is your last newsletter as a one year old… where has the time gone?  It seems like only yesturday Daddy and I were bringing you home from the hospital – this tiny little bundle who depended on us for everything.  Now you are becoming Mr. Independent.  You know what you want, and try to get your way – all the time.  If not, watch out for Hurricane Caleb.

Some of those “terrible two” tantrums are brought on by fustration as you still can’t always communicate your needs.  But you are trying really hard.  In the last few weeks we have been bringing you to see Dr. Craig – the chiropractor (and the other Caleb’s daddy).  This along with your Speech therapy from Karen and OT exercises from Carolyn (Trevor’s mommy) – have produced some excellent changes in your speech sound production.  You can now tell us that a sheep says BAA, a lion goes RRRRR, trains are “woo-woo” and attempt to say things like “more”, “puh-oh” (Playdoh), and “eyaahhh” (yeah).  You are also getting really good at intraverbals…. that’s speech therapy talk for filling in the blanks.  When we read a book together, I can pause and you try to fill in the missing word with a sound.  Karen was so impressed when you read her your Moo Baa La La La book today.  You are also trying to label.  It’s so neat to see you point at something and tell us “dat dat” (look at that).  I’m so proud of you.

As your speech increases, so has your need to “do it yourself”.  I’m sure you’ll soon have your own HGTV show with toddler DIY ideas!  You are still our happy gardener.  In fact I have a deal going with the neighbours that you’ll be cutting their lawns for $10 a house…we’ll have that university tution saved in no time!

You have also been trying to play with daddy’s tools, and you try to “fix” things when they aren’t working.

Today you figured out how to climb up the climbing wall at the playground to get up to the slide.  And you figured out how to get in and out of the bathtub tonight.  It’s kind of a seal sliding approach, but you did it.  (Sorry – no pictures of this…too busy trying to stop you from drowning!)

You are definately a busy boy now.  You don’t like to stop to have your picture taken anymore.  In fact you cried at our family photoshoot, because we made you pause during your duck chasing.  So, this newsletter is void of many photos.  Oh well!  I still love you, and all your antics (well, all your antics minus the tantrums and the milk sprinkler imitation you do!)

Enjoy your last few weeks as a one year old!

Love,
Mommy
xo

PS – Make sure you behave for daddy while Mommy is away in Vancouver… this will be my first overnight trip away from you boys…wahhh!

Dear Caleb,

You are now 22 months old.  It’s shocking to believe in just a few short weeks my little boy will be turning two!  You have definately mastered the two year old tantrum… you may not be communicating using clear verbal words, but you have a very very loud voice, and an ear piercing scream! 

You are becoming a very independent little person.  You try very hard to undress and dress yourself – with some definate ideas about what you will or won’t wear, and what shoes are okay!  You are getting very good at climbing, and can get up and downthe stairs very quickly.  You have also recently learned how to climb up into your highchair, and are trying very hard to climb up onto the big slide at the playground.

You are also turning into a very good helper around the house.  You will help to get your own dishes, put things on the kitchen counter, and will help to vaccuum.

You also like to help outside.  You love to mow the lawn with your new bubble lawnmower… you must be an Ell boy!

 

Actually, you love being outside.  Sometimes we have a hard time getting you to come back in the house.  You love to run around with the neighbourhood kids – chasing them, running through random backyards, swapping toys, sidewalk chalking, lawnmowing, toy car riding, and of course, just getting dirty!

When you aren’t outside, you love to relax on the couch, make that – between the couch and the ottomans.  This is your new favorite way to watch your movies.  Who needs a recliner, huh?!

Recently we celebrated Easter, and you were so cute about the egg hunt.  You knew that good things come in those plastic eggs (thanks to the photo shot we did with you)… and you didn’t want to let go of the ones you collected.  Once you figured out that you got to keep the ones in your Easter bucket, you went around collecting, and stealing a few from others!  It was wonderful to see you enjoy yourself, despite the rain.

We also recently entered you in a model contest, where you got a professional photo taken by Erin of Prairie Child Photography.  You were such a ham – you kept trying to rip off the backdrop, and touch the lights and camera.  And no way did you want to pose or sit or stay within the frame of the camera.  At least we got one good shot.

 

We’ve also had a few playdates with all your little friends.  In order to get a photo of you all, we had to sit you on the couch and turn on your favorite Elmo movie – the things we do for a good picture!  And it must be an almost two year old thing… but you and your friends love balloons!

You are growing up so fast!  A few weeks ago we even took you for your first big boy haircut at a real hair salon.  You screamed bloody murder, but your hair sure looks good!  We love every minute with you (minus the screaming, temper tantrum ones)!  These last few weeks with you as a one year will be very special to us, especially as you start to use your voice more – in a positive way.  Speech therapy continues to go well, and you definately made my birthday this year when you learned to say MOM.

I love you cute stuff!

Love,
Mom
XO

PS: Yup – I realize the newsletter is about 12 days later, but I’m making progress!  And to those who want to see ALL the photos in Caleb’s Toddler Album or for those who save pictures off this site to make print copies, you can acces them here.

Dear Caleb,

It has been far too long since I wrote you a letter… but the time has just been flying, and I’d rather spend my days playing with you, than writing about it.  (Sorry to all our faithful readers!)  You are now 21 months old…only a mere three months and you will be two!  These last three months have been busy ones, and a memorable time for all of us…

We survived our move from “the big city condo” to the “house in the ‘burbs”!  Thanks for all your help with the packing!  It was sad to say goodbye to the place we first called home.  Our last day there we went to pick up the final items and you shut yourself up in your old bedroom and didn’t want us to take you out.  By the time we left you and I were both crying.  I know you probably won’t remember it, but that will always be the place we first brought you home to.

 

I will miss how close it was to get anywhere, and all our wonderful walks to town or the park.  But it is wonderful to finally have a yard of our own, and not worry about downstairs neighbours! 

 

You love the fact that you get to go outside and play with all the neighbour kids.  (Sorry that you got run over by the little motorized kids hummer yesturday…but you held your own and handled it like a champ and got some big hugs form one of the older girls!)  I’m so excited that you get to grow up in a neighbourhood full of playmates, green grass and room for you to run around (even if it is snowing out!)  Yup – before we got our lawn you were playing in a snow covered dirt pile!

 

You also love that we have a garage.  More specifically – a garage door.  You favorite thing to do is watch that door open and close.  You also love to clean sweep your kitchen cupboard.  Daddy and I thought it would be good for you to have your own cupboard where you could get your own cups, plates and bowls.  We didn’t intend it to be for you to get out ALL of your cups, plates and bowls!  You also love to climb up on all the new furniture.  And stairs are no problem for you!

 

You still love to play with your cars and trains.  More recently however you have gotten into arts and crafts- definately mommy’s son!  You absolutely love to play with playdoh, you love to draw and you love stickers.  Everyday we sit at your little table and you play contently with your art stuff…. and everyday I pick playdoh out of the carpet!  But it’s totally worth it!  Having a family room for all your toys is great…even though we still seem to have toys in the living room!

You also still love to play with the phone and babble away.  Just this past week you’ve finally started to say something when someone is really on the phone.  You do your chicken and cow conversation:

Mommy: Hi Caleb!  Are you having a good day today?
Caleb: Cuk cuk cuk, moo!
Mommy: Yes chicken say cluck, cow says moo.
Caleb: Cuk cuk cuk!
Mommy: I have to go back to work – have a good afternoon
Caleb: mmmmmmmmooo cuk cuk
Mommy: I love you
Caleb: Cuk Cuk Cuk Mmmmm (blowing kisses in the phone)

 

The last few months we’ve also been busy with Kindermusik – which you were really starting to like.  We also had our first few visitors, and last week we celebrated daddy’s 30th birthday.  We had around 50 people over.  You loved getting cake.

 

We’ve also had speech therapy sessions.  In January we went for a hearing test – which was normal… after fighting with you about wearing the headphones!  And we got waitlisted for Speech services.  But Mommy followed her instincts and figured out it was a motor planning issue – so now you are seen by Mommy’s work – some speech now and you will start to see an OT soon.

You have adjusted well to our new home and the longer commute.  As a family we are adjusting to our new routines and your therapies.  I still get sad sometimes that you can’t call “Mommy” when you need me, or get fustrated when you can’t tell us what you want.  But I know one day those words will come.  Until then, your beautiful little face keeps me going everyday.  I love you cuk cuk!

 

Love,
Mommy
XO

PS – In February I won some CDs from a radio station because I wrote a Haiku about you:
Your beautiful smile
A laugh, a hug, a snuggle
Gets me through my day!