This is the Life!

Memorial Day weekend meant yard work at the Anderson abode; Calvin joined us outside.

When he wasn't sitting on my lap pulling weeds, he laid comfortably in the shade on his play mat. With an umbrella set up for extra protection, he played comfortably until the breeze lulled him to sleep.

All weekend the boy took his afternoon nap lying in the yard. It doesn't get much better than that.

Lucky boy.

Two Boys

Cal made his first trip to the big city (Chicago) this week. We returned to Covenant Retirement Communities for a farewell party (A.K.A. "We want to meet Calvin and we'll feed you if promise to come.").

Among the friends he met was Elijah Ferguson, son of my former co-worker, Marina. He's 6 weeks older than Calvin and the last time they were in such close proximity was last November, before either was born.

Cal seems to be following closely in Elijah's footsteps, sharing many of the same interests (fingers, changing tables, footy pajamas ....), though Elijah has gone for the popular shaved head look, and Cal's sticking with his hair ... at least for now.

Fortunate Son

Calvin is a fortunate boy to live so close to his grandparents.

Eric and I have been intentional about living close enough for an afternoon visit. It's important to us for Cal to know and be known by his extended family.

My Grandfather was born in 1886, and my Grandma in 1903! Needless to say, they weren't quite the young, active grandparents that Cal has. His have so much to teach him and, God willing, so much time to do it.

Miracle Grow

At Calvin's 4-month check-up, he weighed in at a healthy

17 pounds
27 inches

That's averaging in the 90th percentile for kids his age. So far he's a straight "A" student!

This Little Piggy

Even more than with his sweet smile or his little voice, I have a special bond with Calvin's feet. I knew them before he was born. Each night as I laid down to sleep, he would stretch out and make contact using his feet. In fact, at about the 6-month mark, his foot stuck out far enough for Eric and I to grab it! A 3-dimensional foot from within -- pretty cool. I often fell asleep with my hand on Cal's foot ....

I recognized them right away. They were long, like him, and I understood why he was always looking for someplace to put them.

It's All Relative

Mother's Day weekend provided a chance to meet some family from afar.

Eric's dedicated Grandma and Grandpa Anderson have made the trip from Waterford, PA nearly every spring for one family celebration or another. We especially appreciate them coming this year, because they met their great-grandson when they arrived.

Cal also met his second cousin, Emma Joy Nordquist. She's the daughter of Eric's cousin, Jeanine, and is just two and a half months older than Calvin -- a great playmate!

Peter and Jeanine gave us their cat, Jake, when they moved to Tennessee, but that's the extent of their generosity. They plan to take Emma when they head to Malaysia in a few weeks ....

Mother's Day

A year ago I was pregnant, but didn't yet know it. I recall wishing that I was part of the lucky crowd being celebrated. It's amazing how much can change in a year.

Ironically, I don't feel worthy of being honored this year, either; it feels like I haven't earned my stripes yet. The arguments over household chores and body piercing are yet to come.

Nevertheless, today I have a good excuse to snuggle with Calvin. It's a day to say thanks for my son. Afterall, without him, this would just be a Sunday like any other.

Footed Sleepers

There's nothing better than a footie.

Every night after his bath Cal snuggles into his PJ's, a footed sleeper, and I could just gobble him up, he's so cute.

I think I'd like him to wear one until he leaves for college, at least. We might need to make this one of those, "As long as you live under my roof ..." rules.

Crazy Baby Hair

Calvin was born with a full head of hair (see first entry for proof). Really, he was due for a trim right away.

However, as with most babies, the majority promptly thinned. All but three patches, that is, which have continued to grow.

The longest stems from the crown of his head. It lays flat, unless provoked. But the other two hang directly over his ears, resembling that of an Hasidic Jew. And although I love the Chosen People, Cal's hair is kept tucked neatly behind his ears. Well, most of the time.

Shalom.

More More More!

When Calvin's getting hungry he sports a new dance, a la Kanye West's "Gold Digger".

(For those of you not as hip to the hip hop as I am -- thick sarcasm -- Kanye is the hottest rapper about town these days.)

With form worthy of a back up dancer, Cal arches his back and throws his head off to the side, as if to say, "Broke, broke".

Get down, Cal, go head get down ....

More New Territory

Swedes, boats, and golf.
What do these three things have in common?
Calvin experienced all of them for the first time this past weekend.

Johan, a friend and former schoolmate of Eric's, paid us a visit with his girlfriend, Karin. The meeting seemed like a great time to take the pontoon boat for the first voyage of the summer ... and the first ever, for Cal.

If anyone asks, the official story is that he LOVED it. Didn't mind the wind a bit ....

And he liked the round of golf we played the next morning even better. I envisioned sitting in the cart with him, but since the crew carried their clubs, Cal rode in style ... in his stroller! Have you ever seen a stroller on a golf course? Me either. Still makes me laugh -- we were quite a sight!

Good times, good times.

Guilty Until Proven Innocent

I don't live with a great deal of guilt. At least I haven't until now, when my 14-week-old son has been clobbered by a cold! He awoke in the night with a phlegmy throat, and by 10 a.m. he was leaking from every orifice.

Now, I know what the books say: Calvin's immune system benefits from illness and he will rebound stronger than he was before. But somehow that doesn't suppress my desire to wrap him in cellophane and put him in a bubble.

When weepy eyes sealed themselves shut with yellow puss, the doctor recommended eye drops. EYE DROPS! For my BABY!!

This is when Mother Guilt kicked into gear. It's my fault. I know it. I exposed him to the big, bad world too young. I wiped his eyes with a dirty finger. I ... don't know what it was, but I'm sure it was me who caused what will certainly result in irreversible corneal damage. I don't care what the courts say, I'm guilty until proven innocent....

It's at the height of my irrational ranting that Calvin brings me back to reality with one of his winning smiles. Even with one eye half closed with puss, he's fine. In fact, in the midst of his first illness, he has learned to laugh out loud. Sniffles and wheezes can't keep this kid down. He's like Cheerios!

(Still, I can't bring myself to take or post a picture of my sick child. Surely there's someone dialing DCFS already....)

A Bottle for the Baby

As I prepare to return to work, it's time to get cozy with the breast pump. Blah. We all know that I love feeding Calvin, but feeding a machine is a different story. Nevertheless, I do it for my boy.

The books give all sorts of tips for how to help a baby adapt to a bottle, but our little guy will apparently take food from wherever it's offered. We'll probably have to work hard on the "no candy from strangers" rule down the road.

Still, we started early. At six weeks of age we had a long, "But I don't want to go to sleep" day. Mom gave in first and took a nap, so Dad prepared a bottle for the evening meal. We were visiting with Grammy and Papa Anderson, so it was actually Papa who dispensed the goods. Cal sucked it down so easily, it was as though the bottle and I were one in the same.

Lesson: I could be getting more sleep if I would adapt to the breast pump as easily as Calvin adapts to everything else!