MUCH Better

Kaleb hit a milestone yesterday, but not one that I was excited about in the least...HE GOT SICK! I wouldn't call it a full-blown cold but it hit like one just the same. It started out as a few sneezes here and there in the late morning, escalating to a full-blown sneeze attack within a few hours. Maybe it was that tissue I used to dig out one of his buggies that ended up having remnants of my chilli on it...or the chill from the A/C? While on the phone with my mom I mentioned his increasing sneezes. Her advice? Call the doctor. I was thinking (but dare not say to her directly) that maybe that was a little bit much but I did it anyways. I got the after-hours voicemail and hung up before the recording finished. "He'll be ok," i thought. "I'll just watch him and see what develops." But a continued convo with my mom brought alternate advice: "What did they say when you called? ...Call back and speak with the after hours nurse. I don't mean to alarm you [and just by saying this I am alarming you even more], but you need to see what the doctor says about his sneezing." So I called...and sure enough, just about as soon as I hung up the phone with the nurse it was like the exact symptoms she told me to watch for had rushed from her mouth to his little helpless body: increasing crankiness (while rubbing his nose and eyes) & mucus, sleeplessness, whining, & elevated temperature. Trav came home just in time to tell me the final words of the day to send me over the edge of panic: "Awww...look at him [nuzzling on your chest]! From now until he gets married he'll always come to his mommy when he's sick." AHHHHH...ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?! Just the thought of the next 20-30 years of caring for my sick baby almost sent me into a fit of hyperventilation! I could barely take watching his little head move back and forth as his clinched fist rubbed his droopy eyes and runny nose. And just as I was mentally preparing myself for the night ahead I now had visions of sleepless panicky nights from here to eternity! Lord Jesus!

Needless to say, everything turned out all right. Kaleb fell asleep quite easily after a long feeding and only woke up when hungry. I was on-call with squeegie, saline solution and acetaminophen on hand with any little peep I heard coming from his crib. But nothing has ever come as naturally to me as getting up to care for my little man. Maybe that bout of panic earlier spiked a surge of adrenaline in me or something because I was less tired waking up every hour or so to check on him and squeegie his nose or do otherwise to make him more comfortable than I have been in months. Dare I say I was even perky when popping out of bed then strolling, sick baby in hand, around a dark apartment? Whatever the case, by about 7am BooBoo was back to being BooBoo: cheery, smiling, laughing and talking once again (albeit with a little mucus action every once in a while but happy all the same)! PHEW! One down, 3,487,371,6523,495 to go...bring it on...I'M READY! I think... :-/?

Is He Teething ALREADY?!?!

Kaleb's not even four months old yet but i think he may be entering the teething phase already! He NEVER used to drool--at all--but now he drools regularly, sucks on his hand and arm, hasn't had as big of an appetite for the past couple of days, has been EXTRA cranky lately and especially cranky alllllllll day today, and finally, his mouth looks like this... What do you think and more importantly, WHAT DO I DOOOOO???

Little Boo Boo

It's been a while since i just did a little montage of the latest pics of my little boo (as "Mama Y" so affectionately calls him) so here it is...

Speaking of Mama Y...she wanted to make sure that her Little Boo has the BEST of the BEST! So when it came to choosing a crib, she and Papa D got him a 100% organic, eco-friendly, non-chemical, etc. etc. CRIB. Everything in it, from the sheets to the mattress to the COILS in the mattress follow suit...and he absolutely LOVES it!

It's taken a while for Kaleb to get used to his Daddy's big muscular slightly harsher handling but he loves him all the same...just not as much as his mommy ;-)

LOOK AT THIS FACE!!! What more can i say?!?! Kisses all day long...

Getting chunkier and chunkier by the day.

He sleeps like a little angel...or a little lamb when he's in his swing!

Flying through the air it's...SUPER BABYYYYY!!!

Kaleb and I took a much needed trip to DC in June. He met tons of family, most of whom for the first time. And we even celebrated Trav's first Father's Day when he came up for the weekend. When Auntie Chelsey and I missed our plane back to Charlotte, we decided to take advantage of the extra time and relax at the neighbors' pool...AHHHH!!!!

Post bath in his Winnie the Pooh towel...pure cuteness!

He LOVES bath time!

Awww...look at my guys snuggling!

He's not too fond of his car seat so he thinks by shooting me this little face he's going to be taken out every time. Hmmm...

"i guess she's not buying it!"

LOL! Trav woke him up and this is what he got.

My poor baby got his immunizations and was cranky the whole rest of the day. Broke my heart!

My chunky-cheeked little muffin loves his new hat!

Close up!

I was changing his diaper, he sprayed me, and this is the look i got lol.

His head shape has definitely smoothed out since birth!

Who're you yelling at, little man?!?!

MILK MOUTH

We like to rub our little feetsies together.

Smiley baby!

Sometimes a close-up is a little too close.

NEKKY Baby!!!!

We LOOOOVE to snuggle. And u know what they say, we're around each other so much i guess we start to act the same. I LOVE YOU BOOGABOO!!!!!!

Goo Goo Ga Ga

I never thought in a million years that i'd be remotely interested in "non-words". But my little man speaks them all the time and i'm completely enamored with them! Kaleb will stare up at my face into my eyes, smile and start girgling, giggling and cooing his best interpretation of words. I can't get enough! As i said before, he is most chipper in the early morning so that's when we have our best talks...here's some of our convo from 7/13.

Good Morning This Morning!

Ahhhhhhh...I FINALLY got a video on here, which i've been meaning to do since i started the blog! And i think this one is a great one! Kaleb is the happiest person in the world at 6/7 o'clock in the am and i just love that i can share a little of my morning joy on the blog with you all. More videos to come in the very near future...

Happy BIRTHday!!!!!!

My pumpkin pie sugar dumpling honey bun cutie pie angel face love bug cuddle bear puddin' pop honey drop boobie face baby cakes stud muffin turned 3 MONTHS today!!!! He is sweeter than ever, holding his head up & looking around, cooing, laughing, giggling, MOVING, and in general just showing us so much more personality. I can't believe it's been 3 months already...i still remember the day they popped his little purple monkey face from around the paper sheet as i got the first look of my little sweetheart! LOVE U BUGAGBOOOOO!!!

Sleeping Cutie

When i last wrote (exactly one month ago?!) we had relented to placing Kaleb in the bed with us. After many suggestions (from the hubby to family to reading material), i decided to get it together and nip that nasty-habit-to-be in the bud before it was too late. I must confess that it was just as cozy for me as it was for him, letting him sleep on my chest after he ate until we both fell asleep...and OHHHH how my little cuddle bug LOVES to cuddle! But we can cuddle during the day; sleep is all too important, as i'm learning more and more. The remedy: slowly placing him in the bassinet when he fell asleep (yes, in my arms!), next placing him in his bassinet when he is still awake but very drowsy--temporary crying and all--then gradually increasing bassinet time during the night to where he sleeps in his bassinet ALLLLL night...HALLELUJAH! And last night i got the treat of all treats...Kaleb slept a FULL 8 HOURS without waking up!!!!! My little man is growing up way too fast (tear!)