Little Buddies

We are excited to have our babies so close in age because we want them to be...close. Lately, Caedmon and Isaac have become more interactive, which is a delight for us all. Isaac watches everything Caedmon does so intently and is often amused by whatever his brother is doing.

Of course, it's fun (while they're little and tolerate it!) for us to dress them in matching outfits. The boys' Grammy gave them these little jammies, they're so cute at bedtime! (In order to be able to include other pictures in this post, I won't include the next in the series that I took to get this one - a photo of Caedmon trying to poke his brother in the eye. He doesn't do it maliciously, but is so curious about any part of Isaac he can poke these days - we really have to watch him!)

The boys often play on the floor together - meaning, they're playing at the same time in the same general area. Isaac is taking himself pretty much wherever he wants to go - he's up on all fours all the time and although he doesn't move his hands just yet, he has figured out how to move himself forward with his legs, then flops on his tummy, and pushes himself back up, gaining a few inches at a time. Caedmon gladly demonstrates the "proper" way to crawl. "Show him crawl!" is what I hear as he romps around.

He'll also take time here and there to bring Isaac a toy or book, which is very sweet, but I have to keep a careful eye on him. Last week I was looking for a receipt in my purse and gave Caedmon some old ones that I didn't need, because he always enjoys playing with them. After only a couple of minutes I found what I was looking for, but noticed that one of the receipts I'd given Caedmon was torn in half, laying under Isaac's jumperoo, with half missing and the torn edge wet. I started searching for the missing half, then spied a little piece of paper hanging out of the corner of Isaac's mouth! The rest was in his mouth, thankfully he hadn't swallowed it. Since he was up off the floor in the jumperoo, the only way he could have gotten the receipt was if his big brother "helped" him get it. Of course Caedmon doesn't realize the danger there, as he also tries to share crackers and drinks, so we have to pay close attention to them both.

The boys have started sharing a bathtime more regularly lately. Isaac seems so fascinated by the things floating in the water and always splashes his arms in the water. Caedmon, not to be outdone, splashes also, which puts a lot more water in the air than his little brother could manage alone. I think Isaac's expression in this photo pretty much sums up the experience for him!


Although I haven't gotten around to taking Isaac's 5-month photo (a week overdue already!) I thought this one was a good representation of him right now - alert, inquisitive, content, and engaged. The only thing that isn't clear from this photo is how happy he is!

And this photo is from our latest trip to the farm, when Caedmon got to help Papa in the big tractor. He had his little hands on the steering wheel - it was serious business! From what Papa said, he was also ready to operate all the other levers and knobs!

The Park

We had such a fun morning today! We met a sweet friend at the park and the boys (mainly Caedmon) had a great time playing. Isaac watched from his comfy stroller seat for a while, then took a nap and continued observing from our arms.

Although he didn't stay in the swing long, Caedmon seemed to think it was really fun!

His favorite playground equipment, though, was definitely the slide. He had so much fun climbing the steps and sliding right back down!



I think we'll be going back to the park soon, while this beautiful weather lasts!

Caedmon has a new game that we play at home, too. If I tell him that it is time for Isaac to eat and head to his room, Caedmon will run ahead of me and climb up into the brown rocking chair where I always sit to nurse him. He won't budge, and sits quietly until I settle into the other chair, a black office chair, in the room. Then he looks up, climbs down, and offers, "Mama sit brown chair!" If I get up and move towards the rocker, he'll quickly scoot back up there and laugh, then say, "Mama sit black chair!" So, I settle back in to the office chair, and the whole scene repeats as many times as I am willing to get up and down. He thinks it's such a great joke!

See Digger

See digger? See digger. Although we're not always sure if it's a question or a statement, this is a phrase we're hearing from Caedmon a LOT these days. He is so fascinated with heavy construction equipment like bulldozers, backhoes, and front-end loaders. We take out-of-the-way routes home from the grocery store to go by streets I know are being torn up so that he can see them in action. In fact, for the past couple of weeks, any time we see anyone, this is his first statement to them - he says it when Gramma Janet comes to visit, to our neighbor across the street, to complete strangers who walk past our cart at Target, and today - to our Pastor while Daniel carried him to communion. I think our Pastor was a little perplexed about what he meant, not knowing that Caedmon was probably still a bit in awe of our drive to church - past the Ft. Worth Water Department, which had dozens of different diggers all lined up, ready to go to work tomorrow! I wonder what amazing diggers we'll see this week!

Caedmon and Isaac are able to interact with each other more and more, which is really fun to watch. Caedmon gets a kick out of trying to help Isaac roll over (which he can do just fine by himself, but it tickles when Caedmon's little fingers push into his side, so he giggles and giggles.) I think Isaac's responses to whatever his big brother is doing will only encourage him to play and pay attention more to him.

A few nights ago we let Isaac hang out in the bathroom while Caedmon played in the tub. He's gotten so sturdy and able to support his weight in a standing position that Daniel let him prop himself up on the side of the tub, and he stayed that way for several minutes, soaking up (not literally) all that Caedmon was doing.

Our little guy is so jolly and has the best big, gummy smiles - it reminds me so much of the way his big brother would grin, holding nothing back!

We got out the jumperoo this last week and Isaac has been fascinated with the little toys all around it. He's quite serious about spinning the little clear ball and exploring the toy animals, and even tried to look up and grab the salamander hanging above his head. He's not jumping just yet, but I'm sure that day will come soon. Right now it's fun for him to have a place to play on his own in an upright position. He seems to enjoy that!

Caedmon has also enjoyed rediscovering the jumperoo - although he's MUCH too big for it, it's become an interesting jungle gym for him and he seems to get quite a kick out of trying to balance himself on top of it. He does occasionally get his legs in it and sits in it "properly" but that is not as entertaining as perching on top!

Isaac and Caedmon have had some fun interactions with the jumperoo. Caedmon likes to look through a clear plastic ball at Isaac, and spin it for him. He'll talk to him and occasionally sing him a song - his latest tune is "Humpty Dumpty," which goes a little something like this..."Humpy dumpy dumpy." I'm sure he'll add more words as he gets older.

Isaac is officially pushing himself up to all fours and holding himself that way, sometimes rocking back and forth before he falls onto his tummy. I think crawling is not far off. Caedmon demonstrates proper crawling technique for him from time to time, so hopefully he's taking notes! Caedmon continues to repeat anything and everything he hears, and lately, has even taken to saying "Oh, man!" all on his own.

4-month photo and extras

Is our little giraffe toy shrinking? Isaac was holding and waving it around during this month's milestone picture - he's growing so fast!

Caedmon's latest discovery has been climbing. Not just on the couch or living room chairs, but on the crib, dining chairs, Isaac's walker, and...trees. He can't get up in the tree by himself and I don't think anyone has ever showed him how to climb it - but I guess as a boy, he's hard-wired to know all about it and did his best to scramble up the trunk. He did ask for my help and I let him perch briefly in the fork, but know that it's only a matter of time before he figures it out for himself!


Not quite climbing yet, Isaac is making major breakthroughs in getting from here to there. He is able to push himself up on his hands and knees more and more frequently, and for longer. He's very determined and deliberate - this guy is going to be moving soon!

He's also had a great time lately, having discovered his tongue. He's sticking it out a lot, and thinks it's funny when we stick ours out at him too! What a cutie pie!

Farm Boys

In my last post I summarized our big trip to the farm, but unfortunately had no photos. Thanks to Grammy, we now have pictures to accompany my recounting of details - what a big weekend for our boys, and especially Caedmon! He's really into "diggers" right now, so was looking forward to seeing the bulldozer that's been working on a couple of tanks at the farm. He definitely had everything under control in the drivers' seat!

Caedmon later had the chance to ride in the big tractor as well. It was a big day!

He had his first up-close encounter with a cow, which is appropriate for him, as he's memorized their diet - cows eat "oats, grass, hay, cake." He was a little apprehensive at first but soon became more comfortable around the cows, with Papa and Dada's help.

Another big discovery that snags every little boy's attention at some point was throwing rocks in the water. He had a great time picking up little stones and dirt clods and tossing them into the tank. He probably could have done that all day, but would have missed out on the other fun adventures awaiting him!

After some practice with tossing rocks in the water, we moved to another tank and Caedmon played a key role in our very successful fishing trip. He helped throw the fish food into the water, drawing a good number of catfish to that part of the tank where I was excitedly waiting with my pole! We caught three nice catfish in no time at all. He wasn't interested in touching the fish but tossed in fistful after fistful of food, then proudly helped me carry my pole back to the truck.

This was a great first trip to the farm for Isaac, and as he grows and learns more, each trip will be more interesting and engaging for him! He's changing so fast, we caught this picture of him supporting his own weight in an upright position the other day and I thought it was precious.

At his 4-month check-up this week, he measured 27 inches tall (97th%) and weighed 16 lbs 8 oz (80th%). He's so amused by the things going on around him - he discovered how to blow out into his spoon when we're feeding him and make sweet potatoes and rice go flying. He enjoys having us sing to him and move his hands and arms, which Caedmon has learned to do as well. He grabs Isaac's hands and waves them as he sings his rendition of "The Ants Go Marching," and they both get so tickled. (Today, Caedmon did the same with Duck - buckling him into Isaac's bouncy seat and grabbing his little hands while singing.) Isaac also joined us in the bathroom tonight while Caedmon was playing in the tub, and giggled and giggled at his big brother's antics.

It's so neat to see Caedmon's imagination expanding and his sense of humor developing. While we were picking up his room to go to bed tonight, he grabbed his little toy laptop, opened it, put a little pillow inside, and mashed it closed, saying "Cook waffles. So hot!" What a creative little mind!

Time Flies!

How time is flying! It's already been almost a month since our last post, and we've had so many neat things going on in the boys' lives. They are amazing!

A couple of weeks ago Caedmon and his Dada had the chance to go to a Rangers game with a friend and his little boys. I'm convinced that Caedmon grew up noticeably while they were gone! He did great at the game, although it appears that more than anything, he remembers the fireworks - he still talks about the baseball game, and "fire works" are always the first thing he mentions.


Every day he says so many things that are just precious or hilarious - he is a little sponge and doesn't miss a thing we say! He is really putting together sentences now, it's so neat to have an idea of what is going on in that sweet little head! Some recent examples:

- (in the car, while looking at his hands) "five fingers...one, two, three, four, eight."

- (after trying my cranberry juice) "cran berry juice...soooo sour!"

He's also started repeating some of his songs here and there, but only in his own timing, never when we are singing them. He knows parts of Jesus Loves Me (his first to attempt solo), Itsy Bitsy Spider, and Happy Birthday, and we never know when he'll start singing them.

We visited Grammy and Papa and the farm this past weekend, and he had a fantastic time. He got to sit on a bulldozer, run up and down the freshly-dug tank dam, watch Mama catch some catfish, feed the cows, and pet the baby lambs. He got to spend a lot of time outside in the beautiful weather and loved his time with Grammy and Papa. When we ask him about the cows, he tells us they "eat cake, oats" and "lick elbow" (he did get licked!)

Isaac is growing up so fast, too. He's such a jolly little guy! He loves just getting to sprawl out on his tummy, but now can roll himself over both directions and scoot forward, so although he hasn't put those together yet to get himself to a particular destination, he definitely doesn't stay in one place for long! He can get his little knees and arms under himself and lifts his tummy completely off the floor, and we've seen him get all the way up to his hands and knees a number of times, also. Such a strong boy!

He exercises his voice a lot and seems to really enjoy "talking" to us. We've been giving him rice cereal, which when made just to his preferences, he will absolutely devour. Sweet potatoes are on the menu for him later this week!

Still, Isaac's favorite thing to do is watch his big brother. I'm sure he's taking lots of notes, he's so attentive when Caedmon is around! Or, perhaps he's just being on guard to prepare himself for any Ducks or toys about to be launched his direction, which does happen frequently too.

Both boys are blessed to be exposed to music at such an early age. They get a front-row seat to Daniel's playing the piano, guitar, and now even violin on a regular basis. Caedmon will ask for one of those instruments, and especially seems to enjoy helping strum the guitar. He'll say, "guitar! pick! pick!" He knows where Daniel keeps his extra picks and loses no time in grabbing one and strumming along with Dada.

Three months of fun

Somehow, it's already been over three months - 96 days, actually - since Isaac joined our family. It's so incredible to watch his little personality blossoming and to learn new things about him every day. My favorite recent discovery is how ticklish he is - I can hardly change his clothes without him wiggling and giggling if I accidentally (or intentionally!) tickle his tummy or sides, and even his little legs. He gives big smiles when we talk and smile at him, and especially if I kiss his cheeks, which really just encourages more and more of those things!

He seems so interested in the things going on around him, be it a book, his blankets, toys, or Caedmon, who can definitely hold his attention without even being aware of it. Isaac is going to learn so much from him, he's probably already taking mental notes! He's a strong little guy, too, really holding his head up steadily and rolling over onto his side and back several times every day.

Caedmon (who, to be fair, is 634 days old!) is growing up so much, so quickly. He amazes us with what he is able to do, and especially with his language. He has a word for just about everything, and we've been amused at the way he's picked up and turned around some of the phrases we tell him frequently, such as "Carry you, Caedmon?" (which he says when he wants to be picked up) "Help me" (if he wants to help us with something). He has almost memorized his "Sleepy Bear" book and although the language is very simple, we are amazed at how he can fill in almost any word we leave out, and sometimes tells us what is on the next page before we get there.

Some things don't change, though, as his favorite activity is still playing outside. If there is time after we finish our supper, Daniel will often look at Caedmon and ask "Do you want to go....outside?" Caedmon's little face absolutely lights up, his eyes get wide, and his mouth drops open as he nods his head - I can't imagine a more sincere or exuberant expression. He will immediately begin trying to get down out of his booster seat, saying out loud the things he needs to go out and what he wants to do - "Down! Down! Shoes! Sand! Water!"

Caedmon's attachment to his Duck has continued, and perhaps even deepened. Currently, Duck's sweet yellow fluff has become grimy and in much need of washing, so when I took a load of clothes out today to wash I brought Caedmon and Duck along. After he helped me put all the clothes in, I asked him to put in his feathered friend. He said, "No! Hold." and squeezed Duck tight. There was no convincing him to let go. It's been amusing to watch all the new things he does with Duck, though, as he learns to pretend - he has been riding Caedmon's little toy car, taking naps in his bed, drinking from his sippy cup and eating snacks. When Caedmon goes outside, he puts Duck by the door and says "Wait right here" and when he sits at the table for meals, we move Duck out of reach and so he can, as Caedmon says, "Watch you."

I'm sure we have a lot more of this in our future, but we had our first venture into a shared bath this week. Isaac was in his little bouncy seat, so we put him in it and set it down in Caedmon's bath water. There was just enough water for his legs to be able to splash around, and he kicked and kicked. Caedmon helped "wash" him by pouring water over his legs and feet and was really well-behaved with his little brother. We're not sure which little boy was more surprised at this new arrangement!

10 weeks, already?

That's right, our little Isaac will be 10 weeks old tomorrow! He's growing like a weed, was 13 lbs 2 oz (80th percentile) at his 2-month check-up, and 25 inches tall (97th percentile). We're so thankful that he's such a healthy little guy! Here he is on his 2-month birthday.


He really loves the quilts that his Granny made for him and Caedmon - they have bright colors that are just fascinating to him!

Such a sweet little sleeper! He loves to sleep on his tummy with his little feet tucked up under him and his arms pulled in. He does look pretty cozy!

Big brother-isms

There are so many things to learn and do as a big brother, and Caedmon has been very busy making sure he's the best big brother he can be!

First, he worked alongside (actually, on top of) his dad as they replaced the faucet in the bathroom. He had a wrench and while Daniel worked under the sink, he took care of everything else, making sure the cabinet doors, toilet, floor - really, anything in reach - were adequately banged on.

He has also learned the fine art of drinking from a water hose, something every little boy should know! In the heat, he has really enjoyed playing in the water, especially under the colorful umbrella his Gramma Janet shared with us. We have noticed a trend in the progression of his requests when we got outside...he'll first, of course, ask for the water hose. Once his feet get wet, he looks up and says, "Shoes off?" Sure, we'll take off his sandals. Then his shirt gets wet..."Shirt, off?" Sure, why not. Then his shorts...."Shorts, off?" Uhm, okay. That only leaves one thing..."Diaper, off?" Well...we might consider it, but all of this takes place in the front yard, so he doesn't get an affirmative answer to that final request! Once we come inside, though, he is ready, not just for any old diaper, but always a "clean, dry diaper."

Caedmon is also learning how to care for his little brother, picking up on our cues to know how to meet his needs. He likes to put a "blant-et" on him when he's in his swing, attempts to insert a pacifier in Isaac's mouth when he's upset, and tries to get him to hold a rattle when they're playing on the floor. He even imitates the way we talk to him, getting right up in front of him and saying "A-boo. A-ooo." It's so sweet! Of course, they do have their moments. I didn't know if our admonitions were really sinking in until I overheard Caedmon talking to himself while I made lunch..."Do_NOT_hit_Isaac. No_Sir." He even emphasizes like we do! We really have to watch what we say!

Isaac is fascinated by Caedmon. We've tried to give them opportunities to play "together" by encouraging Caedmon to demonstrate his toys or show Isaac his books, although Isaac is much more interested in watching his brother than anything else!

Probably because we spend so much time with Isaac in our arms, the phrase I hear the most lately is "Carry you?" Caedmon has decided he wants his fair share of being held and toted around, and seems to really enjoy directing us to things that would normally be out of his reach. His vocabulary is amazing to us, and we don't have to repeat new words to him often before he soaks it in and begins using them himself. It's so fun to be able to carry on a real conversation with such a neat little person!

Isaac's baptism

This past Sunday, we welcomed sweet baby Isaac into the family of God through the sacrament of Holy Baptism. What a joyful occasion! We are blessed to have his Uncle Taylor and Aunt Amanda as his sponsors. He did great during the baptism, as did big brother Caedmon, who stood with us up front.


In the last week or so, little Isaac has been busily perfecting his smiles. They are so precious! We enjoy watching and interacting with him so much that we normally don't want to take the time to grab the camera and risk missing the moment, but I did manage to catch one gummy little grin. What a darling!

Isaac's one month birthday came and went so quickly - we did take a picture to commemorate the occasion, but I didn't get a chance to post it until now. Hopefully we'll be able to take photos each month with this little stuffed giraffe to watch his growth. It feels like he is blossoming before our eyes, it's so amazing how quickly babies grow at this age.


Today is Isaac's 7-week birthday. How time flies, it seems like just yesterday we were still wondering when he was going to make his grand appearance! How blessed we are to have him in our family now!

Big Day!

Today was a big day for our family of four! We enjoyed getting to spend a Saturday at home together as we continue to learn how to adjust to our new schedule (or lack thereof) and how to meet the needs of each family member. Caedmon and his Dada got to watch the neighborhood 4th of July parade and spend time playing outside, which they thought was pretty great. Later, we decided it was time, again, for him to get a haircut, as it had grown out quite a bit. This time, rather than going to the kids' salon, we cut it at home! It looks straighter in the pictures from being wet and combed during the cutting, but I think it will still be long enough to curl.


After that, we all convened in the bathroom to give Isaac his first bath in the baby bathtub! We had to wait for his umbilical cord to heal completely, so now he gets to experience a real bath. He was okay with it at first but was ready to be done by the time his hair was washed. Caedmon got to sit on the counter at the base of the tub and supervise, and helped wash little Isaac's feet.

Isaac was contentedly having a little tummy time in his crib this evening while I stepped out of the room briefly, and while I was gone I heard him start to scream. I suspected I knew what had happened, and when I dashed back in to check on him, my suspicions were confirmed - he had rolled himself over onto his back! Such a strong little guy!

We knew it had been a tiring day for Caedmon, who refused an afternoon nap, but didn't realize just how tired he was until we were finishing our supper. He ate his spaghetti and vegetables heartily, then went right to sleep in his chair! He stayed that way for several minutes (while we took pictures and video, of course.) Poor guy!

To wrap up our busy day, Daniel was able to feed Isaac with a bottle for the first time. We weren't sure what the little guy would think about it, but once he realized he was being fed, he took right to it and quickly drained the ounce of milk that we offered.

We continue to be amazed at both our little boys as they grow and change so quickly. Caedmon is on the verge of running, and loves to go for walks around the block (he walks the entire way by himself, pointing out all the "bumps" in the sidewalk.) He is able to identify several colors with a fairly high degree of accuracy, and his imagination is blossoming, as he enjoys "feeding" his Duck and toy farm animals, and putting them to bed ("night-night.") At 3 weeks of age, Isaac has already given us several nights of 6+ hours between feedings, and slept in his crib in his room for the first time on June 25. He really focuses steadily on objects and faces around him. Every day is something new - we are so humbled and amazed that the Lord has blessed us so with these precious boys!