Bees, donkeys, and big smiles

Recently, when we've gone shopping, Caedmon has spotted a cute little bee pillow in a number of stores and always asks to see and play with it. I decided to pick one up for his birthday, and had no idea what this addition to his toy stash would do! He immediately started treating Bee like a friend - pointing his little face at things and saying "See that, Bee?" and even putting toys and books in front of him to "show" him.

This apparently started something, as he became more and more attached to other stuffed animals that we've had for a long time. One morning I was cleaning up breakfast dishes while Caedmon played in the living room - when I finished, I realized that he had gotten Bee, Peter Rabbit, Little Peter Rabbit, and of course Doug, and was sitting in the chair "reading" his "Peter Rabbit" book to them, telling them about Mr. McGregor. So cute!

He also has decided that all these friends need to be in his bed for naps and bedtime. Caedmon knows that once we've gone through the bedtime routine and tucked him in, he's supposed to stay in his room. One night a few weeks ago, we'd done all this and thought he'd gone to sleep as all was quiet, then hear a small "Peter Rabbit?" from his doorway. Then, the request got more and more sad and pitiful, and by the time Daniel got to his room with the lost toy in tow, he sounded like he was going to burst into tears. After being reunited with his bunny friend, he meekly asked, "Little Peter Rabbit?" Daniel had definitely planned ahead, and produced the miniature version of this stuffed toy for our boy.

Since then, anything soft and fluffy and not tied down in his room has found a place in Caedmon's bed at night, until there's hardly room for him. His "posse," as we lovingly call it, now includes Doug, Bee, Big Peter Rabbit, Little Peter Rabbit, Jingly Frog, Jesus Loves Me Lamb, Pillow Dog, Bear Dog, Easter Duck, Hooey Bird...as well as four blankets/quilts (in addition to his bedspread), four small pillows, and the pillow that he actually sleeps on.

It's amazing how Caedmon keeps tabs of these little friends, and often remembers who is missing. I've taken advantage of his sharp little mind and often tell him what I need when we go to the store - not only does it give him satisfaction and entertainment to know what we're looking for, it helps me because he usually is able to remember better than I am!

We went to Hamilton to celebrate Christmas the week after this year, and our boys had some fun adventures. Caedmon got to meet a new farm animal - Dixie Lou, his great-uncle's donkey. She was very gentle and so he was able to feed her out of his hand.

Caedmon's Papa has been telling him for a while about a friend who has a bulldozer, and that he could sit on it whenever we visited. We finally were able to go out and see it - Caedmon had a great time climbing up the tracks and pulling the levers. He thought it was pretty great!

And last Thursday, December 30, Isaac had a major breakthrough. He is now officially a crawler! Look out, world! And he didn't stop there - now he has also figured out how to pull himself up to standing. So far he's only done it when crawling to/up us and one time on Caedmon's bed, but I'm sure it won't be long before he's pulling up on all the furniture.

We have loved doing anything that will make Isaac give us his huge, jolly smile. Recently, though, he's stopped opening his mouth wide every time, and smiles just as big, but with his little gums clamped tightly together. It's so different from what we're accustomed to, but so darling! It's often accompanied by a little chuckling sound in his throat. How precious is each and every stage and development! God created, and continues to create, and we are blessed to watch it all.

Such busy guys!

Wow, so much has happened since my last post! These boys have kept us busy, on our toes, and with big smiles on our faces.

Caedmon knows how to answer if asked his age now - "Two years old!" We had a lot of fun building up to his birthday and celebrating with a digger party. He seemed to have a better understanding that the party was for him - he couldn't wait to blow out his candle! And actually, he didn't - about halfway through the birthday song, he went ahead and extinguished it. We had been practicing so I guess he was just too eager to see if he could really do it! We continued singing and just re-lit it for him, something that we did numerous times the week of his birthday.

At his party, Caedmon took full advantage of the fact that there weren't many guests in attendance who would refuse him the opportunity to nibble on as many treats as he could reach - so he had quite a helping of chocolate "boulders" from his brownie cake, marshmallows, and the brownie itself.

It was such a joy to get to sing the birthday song over and over to our darling little toddler, especially to see his eyes light up when we said his name, and to do fun things to make him feel special on his big day. I think I was probably more sad than he was when his birthday was over!

Isaac is changing and learning so fast, the months are just flying by. He has had such a jolly disposition for a while now, and it just gets better as he grows! I had to try to capture the big smile he always shares when I go to pick him up after his nap, he always wakes up so happy and ready to go.

He's been up on all fours for a while now, so I guess the novelty of that wore off for Isaac and he began experimenting with other yoga-style moves for us to enjoy. He pushes himself up on his toes, twists from side to side in that position, and occasionally ends up with one foot off the ground. Sometimes he looks like he's going to just push himself right up to standing. I can only imagine the upper body strength this boy is developing!

We put up the Christmas tree this year, but didn't even try to put ornaments on it yet. Both boys were, of course, drawn to it. Caedmon was thrilled to learn that he could toss toys up into the tree and they would occasionally get stuck there. And despite our admonishments, he sometimes is unable to resist the urge to climb under and behind the tree, and peek out at us through the branches. Isaac hasn't really done a lot of crawling under/behind the tree, but loves to scootch up to the lowest branches and try to grab them.

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!