Caleb and Dash

This past week I got the chance to watch my Godson, Dash, while his mommy went to the doctor. I was so excited to get to spend some quality time with him for a few hours. It was an eye opening experience to have two babies at once! For the first hour or so they both took naps, so that was peaceful and easy. When they were both awake, however, it was a little more hectic. Between bottles, diapers, tummy time, crawling, and all the other fun stuff that goes along with babies, I had my hands full. It was so much fun to watch the two interact. It makes me feel like my baby is so old when he's around an even younger baby. I just can't believe Caleb has already gone through all those stages of infancy and he's turning into a little boy. I love having Dash to see all those stages just one more time. I guess this is just a sign that Caleb will definitely need to have a little brother or sister sooner than later!

Christmas Break 2008

It has been a very busy and eventful Christmas break thus far. It began on Friday with a very sick 9 month old baby. He had some tummy issues since Wednesday and they only seemed to get worse as the days went on. By Saturday, Caleb was almost entirely refusing to eat and hardly kept anything in his system. We were so worried that we ended up at the ER for a few hours on Saturday afternoon. Meanwhile, everyone else he came in contact with during that week, except for Tyler, managed to get sick as well.

By the early part of the following week, Caleb was doing much better and he enjoyed spending some quality time at home with his Mommy. We spent some of our time cooking and baking in preparation for Christmas. Caleb loves to hang out in the kitchen at watch what's going on.

On Christmas Eve, we joined the Bloom family (Nana Pam, Ed, and their two daughters) for dinner at my parents' house. It was fun to hang out and open gifts together. Caleb got a bunch of fun stuff from the Bloom family and Tyler and I were also lucky enough to get a gift card to hopefully use on a date night in the near future!

On Christmas morning, Caleb woke up at saw his three presents from Santa. The three presents are a tradition we plan to continue on for the rest of his (and any other siblings) childhood. We want all of our children to not lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas. I'm sure there will be years when that won't be the "popular" thing to do, but hopefully our children will not see it as a bad thing.

After opening his presents from Santa, we were joined by Grandpa, Grandma, and Auntie Tracy. Once again, Caleb got a ton of cool stuff. Tyler and I were also spoiled on Christmas morning with lots of great gifts.

Tyler was very excited to put together all of the fun gifts and Caleb was happy to try them all out. Our favorite reaction was to this gift that Auntie Tracy bought him. He has a ton of fun playing with the monkey, hippo, and elephant on this toy.

After a lazy Christmas morning, we switched into work mode as we prepared to host our first Christmas dinner for my dad's whole family. It was so fun to have almost 20 people here to eat and enjoy the day. The night ended with a very fun game of Balderdash. The Lamont's tend to get pretty serious when it comes to games (as you can tell from my Uncle Jim's face in the picture). The day after Christmas we were joined by Grandpa, Grandma, and Auntie Kalyn. Once again, we opened tons of great presents. Caleb might have more toys that he can ever possibly play with!

One of his favorite toys is a singing cow that his wonderful Great Aunt Denise bought and sent from North Carolina. At first the cow was a little creepy looking, but with time it kind of grows on you. Now our whole family keeps singing "Don't Worry, Be Happy" over and over again with this little cow!

Another highlight of the break is Caleb's sudden interest in moving everywhere and anywhere he can. He no longer likes being stationary and wants to be on the go at all times. I knew this would be a tough transition since we got so used to being able to leave him in one place without worrying about where he'd end up. Since we have so many stairs and places to get into trouble, we knew we'd have to do some major babyproofing. We decided the easiest option was to buy a "cage" (as we like to call it). Really it's a big playpen for him to hang out in and move all around. It's kind of an eyesore in the family room, but it is so practical for those times when we just need to set him down and let him play without worrying about what he's going to get into. So far, it's been great and he has a lot of fun playing in his own space with all his new toys.

The next part of the weekend was spent enjoying my 27th birthday. Although my parents were gone in Mexico, I was lucky to have my in-laws still in town. We had a relaxing, yet very rainy, day and then went out for a yummy dinner. We had cake and then finished the evening playing games with some of our friends. Altogether it was a very nice birthday. It was great to have people around since it was on a weekend. In the past, I've been off of work, but everyone else I know is at work so it makes for a rather lonely birthday. This year was much better though!

It's amazing to think about what a busy week it has been. I'm really enjoying being off from school and home with Caleb. I'm already dreading how fast this next week will probably go by. Hopefully it won't be quite as hectic as the first week and we'll find time to just relax and enjoy being together at home.

Who knew cribs could be so fun?!?

It's been a very busy week in the Sturm home. We have plenty of pictures and stories to share, which will hopefully come later today. For now, enjoy this video of our happy little guy having a blast in his crib. He is just FULL of fun and personality!

A visit with Santa!

The Christmas season is in full swing at the Sturm home. This past weekend, we had the fun experience of taking Caleb to meet Santa for the first time.

The day began with some fun playtime in Caleb's new winter pjs (thanks Grandma Leslie). As you can see Caleb was very excited when he found out he'd be meeting jolly old St. Nick in just a few short hours! Okay, he really had no clue, but it's fun to pretend!

We headed off to Odyssey Country Club (which is actually the same place where my prom was held) for a big buffet breakfast. Grandpa, Grandma, Auntie Tracy, Nana Pam (not in the pic), and Madelyn (also not in the pic) joined us. The breakfast was a benefit for a children's hospital in the Chicagoland area.

The moment finally came for Caleb to meet Santa. We really wondered how he'd react and imagined that he'd just stare right at him with his infamous look of curiosity. Sure enough, that was just what he did. We eventually got him to turn away and look towards the camera.

After hanging out with Santa, we sat down and enjoyed the huge breakfast they had. Caleb sat quietly and just enjoyed being surrounded by so many of his favorite people.
Overall, it was a very fun day! I'm sure our future encounters with St. Nick won't be so jolly. I've been warned of the toddler years when Santa can be quite frightening for youngsters!

Pajama Day

Today Daddy and Caleb got to spend a lot of quality time together. I had a "sprinkle" for my cousin out in Indiana, so Tyler was left in charge for the day. I was gone from about 10:00 until 4:00 and didn't hear from him until I called on the way home. I thought for sure we would've talked sooner! It turns out the two boys in my life had a lot of fun together. Apparently they were having so much fun that Daddy didn't have time to change Caleb out of his pjs! Tyler still hadn't showered and was also still wearing the same clothes he was when he woke up at 7 this morning.

I think it's funny how when a mom leaves her child with dad for the day, it's as if he's a "babysitter" and it's a special day. However, when a dad leaves his child with mom for the day, that's just a normal day. I guess I'm just lucky that my live in "babysitter" is such a great guy and a wonderful dad. I constantly surprise myself when it comes to how I am as a parent. Given my type A personality I would expect myself to be really particular about my child's routine, daily activities, and so forth. I'd think I would be a very overbearing and overprotective mom. I guess I've learned in my short time as a mom that being that way is just plain silly and I'm glad to have a child who is very go-with-the-flow and happy with just about anyone, anywhere!

Thankful

Thanksgiving is such a wonderful holiday. I love spending time with my awesome family and getting to enjoy the company of people who mean so much to me. It's always been fun to grow up with a big extended family. I look forward to the time we get to spend together. As a kid, I have so many great memories of traveling down to the lake with my mom's side of the family and spending the holiday there. As we got older, we spent our Thanksgivings here with my dad's side of the family. The memories I have with both of those sides are precious and are especially meaningful now that some of those family members are no longer with us. I think holidays can be hard in that sense because you just don't know how to accept the changes that come with families growing and changing over time. Fortunately, I know that the bonds within my family are strong enough to carry on generation after generation and I'm excited that Caleb (and any other future children) will be a part of that.

Aside from the time spent with family, Thanksgiving is also a great time to remember what we're thankful for. It actually hit me earlier this week when my coworker and I were showing a cartoon about the first Thanksgiving; we are so very blessed to have the lives that we have here in America. To think how this country started and what lengths those first pilgrims went to just for the freedom they longed for is amazing. It sounds cheesy, but I often wonder if I would be willing to give up so much of what I have and take a huge risk like they did. Although the story of the pilgrims and Native Americans seems to just be a lesson we talk about in elementary school, it is a true story nonetheless. We should reflect on where this holiday came from and what it means to us now.

On that note, I'd like to list off the top 10 things I've been thankful for this year:

1. I'm thankful for the home that we have. It's no mansion and compared to what most people in my generation seek out, it's a rather humble abode. But it's perfect for us and I love that I can call it home.

2. I'm thankful for having a healthy baby and surviving my first 8 months of motherhood! I can't believe how much I've learned in less than a year and how much joy one little child can bring to the world around him.

3. I'm thankful for a sister. I never truly valued that term like my mom always told me I would. She and her sister always grew up with the same relationship that my sister and I had. She always told me that one day my view would change and it certainly has. My sister is a friend that is built into my life forever. We don't have to work at our relationship or spend tons of time together to know that we mean a lot to each other. Despite our differences, we're still very similar and I love that she's part of my life.

4. I'm thankful for a dad and mom who would go to the ends of the earth and back for me, my husband, my child, and anyone else they love. There aren't enough words to describe how wonderful my parents are. I truly can say that they are the best parents a girl could ask for. From those days in childhood when I thought I had the meanest parents right up until now when I know I have the best ones, I know that everything they've done is out of love. They are the best!

5. I'm thankful for a husband who is the best husband I could ever ask for. Nobody will ever find the perfect guy or girl, but I've come pretty close to getting that in Tyler! He's an amazing husband and daddy. And even on those days when we just don't see eye to eye, he still manages to love me.

6. I'm thankful for a father, mother, and sister-in-law who aren't the nightmare ones you hear about from your girlfriends! I'm thankful that through their efforts, they've raised such a wonderful person for me to marry and raise a new generation with. I'm also thankful that despite the fact that they do live far away, it isn't too far (it may be a long drive, but at least a visit doesn't require plane tickets and a whole days worth of traveling).

7. I'm thankful for a job that I love and for finding my passion early in life. I've never had to doubt if my career choice was the right one for me. Working with young children is the most rewarding profession! To see smiling faces, get hugs on a daily basis, and see the light bulb turn on for a kid who's really been struggling is just an amazing feeling. I love what I do and I love the kids I grow attached to year after year.

8. I'm thankful for friends new and old. As life goes on you realize more and more how difficult it can be to stay in touch with everyone you ever develop a friendship with. The memories made though are still priceless and can keep that friendship special no matter how much you do or don't stay in touch. No matter what point I've been at in life, I've always had people to be right by my side and I'm incredibly thankful for that!

9. As dorky as it sounds, I'm thankful for my health. I'm so blessed to have the ability to wake up everyday and exercise. I don't have to overcome physical obstacles just to drive to work or walk through the grocery store. I'm also blessed to have had the chance to experience a healthy pregnancy as it seems like more and more girls I know are struggling to get that chance.

10. More than anything else, I am thankful for a God who has crafted my life in such a way that I have so much to be thankful for. The nine things I've listed above are in no part because of something I've done. God has given me all of these things and made everything work out in just the way He wanted it to. I think about how different my list of things would be if I had the final decision in everything instead of Him. We would be living in one of the first houses we put an offer on, which looking back would've been way too small and not practical at all. Without God, I honestly might not have survived my first few weeks of parenting as I felt major symptoms of the baby blues and my only hope at times was that God would get me through it. Without God's plan for my life, I could've ended up with a family that didn't give me all the love in the world, raise me to be who I am today, and still mean the world to me. In fact, I always wondered as a child how I ended up having the mom and dad I had and how it was that I grew to have the traits I did. Looking back, I know that God put me with all these people for a reason and I'm thankful for that. I also know that if it had been up to me instead of God, I wouldn't have been working as a full time classroom teacher this year. Thank God I am because the children I'm working with this year are amazing and I can't imagine never having met them. I could go on and on, but I know most readers of this blog are just interested in the pictures I post (which I haven't posted any of today). I just love to reflect sometimes on the awesomeness of a God who sees the whole picture when we just see a part of it...a God who knows what's best for us, even when it's not even close to what we think is good...and a God who gives us so much to be thankful for if we just take the time to really think about all the blessings He gives!

Happy Thanksgiving to all who are reading this. Chances are if you're reading this blog, you've been a part of my life and in one way or another you fit into that list of things I'm thankful for!

Splish Splash

We officially have the world's biggest water baby! Caleb could be fussing for an hour before bathtime, but as soon as he hits the tub he's all smiles. This past weekend, we finally got a seat for him to use in the bathtub. Up until that point we had to hold his hand to keep him steady while he sat up in the slippery tub. Now he's safe, secure, and free to have endless fun!