4 Month Check-up

It's hard to believe that it's already been two months since Calvin's last appointment and first round of immunization shots. He again had one oral immunization, and two shots in each leg. The entire time he was there he laughed and smiled with the nurses and doctor, until it was time for shots. He still smiled after the first one. After the second and third ones, he glared at the nurse but didn't make a sound. After the fourth, he squawked, but never cried. We were very proud of him. He's been happy all night and only has a slight fever and Snoopy band-aids to show for his ordeal.

His stats for this time were:

- Height 25 inches - 50th percentile
- Weight 17lbs 9oz - 90th percentile
- Head - 17 inches - 90th percentile

Since last time he has grown an inch and a half, gained five pounds, and his head is an inch bigger. In layman's terms, that means he's short and chubby for his age, with a big head. They say that the groceries must be very good at our house.

The Dr. gave us some sleep tips (although he's pretty hard-core Nazi about it, so I'm not sure I'll do EXACTLY what he says), but it was interesting to get a different perspective on things. He also told me not to eat any peanuts and seemed annoyed when I told him I wasn't sure I could give up peanut butter cups. All in all, it was a very good appointment and Calvin is as healthy as can be.

We Suspected That He Was Gifted...

Tonight Calvin rolled from his tummy to his back all by himself. He is undeniably a brilliant child!

Now if he would only sleep in his crib without waking up and screaming every hour and let his parents get some rest, we would really be onto something.

Good Toys/Bad Toys

Good Toy: We got this little Exersaucer from the baby shower and he has spent hours in it. He loves the different toys attached and works so intently to grab each one in his chubby little fists. He also loves that he can sit and stand all on his own.
Bad Toy: I wanted something that he could play with while he lays on the ground. This one holds his attention for about two seconds. There aren't a lot of hangy down toys that he can grab hold of, and though I want my boy to be a cultured little genius as much as the next mom, the blinking lights and high-tempo Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart are a bit too much for him at this point.
Good Toy: He ADORES this little lamb. Our company sent it to the hospital with flowers when he was born and it's the softest lamb you've ever seen. He loves it because the fur is just long enough for him to grab with his pudgy fingers and stick it in his mouth.
Good Toy: We call this the Magic Blanket. A woman from church made it for him, and the inside is made of the fuzziest yellow fabric. Carrie can wrap him in it and have him asleep in eight seconds flat.

A Visit from Our Friends up North

Last weekend we took both of our cars up to PA to be looked at because the Toyota dealer down here quoted us $2000 to replace a Catalytic Converter and they quoted us $400 up there. Can't beat that. They couldn't fix the Audi though. Anyway, Andy's parents and brother and sister-in-law were kind enough to bring to us down our cars today, so they hung out for a few hours and we had lunch together. It was fun to have them here. Calvin looking adorable in an outfit that Gretchen gave him at his baby shower.

Calvin loves his grandma!

Calvin with Uncle Gary and Aunt Gretchen. He hasn't seen them since he was a few weeks old, but he hit it off with them immediately and had lots of fun with them while they were here.

Mommy and Calvin. Grandpa insisted since we have very few pictures of the two of us together.

One big happy family. As we took this shot I was sad that Danny, Annette, and the girls weren't here. It's always a good time when the whole family gets together. It was fun to have Gary and Gretchen. They have never visited us before, so we were able to show them around. Hopefully the rest of the bunch will visit this summer.

Thanks again for all of your help with the cars!

A Belated Valentine's Day

Andy spent Valentine's Day in Oklahoma City for work, and I spent the evening in class, so we had a very belated V-Day. Andy sent beautiful flowers and gave me a new copy of The Notebook, which Carrie and I watched in my big bed late at night so Calvin could go to sleep. When Andy finally got home we went out to dinner and went to see Definitely, Maybe. Only the best of men will agree to watching chic flicks and paying $20 to do so. I usually am great at holidays, but I failed him miserably this time. It seems like there's way too much going on right now, but I'll make it up to him next year. He's a wonderful husband and I look forward to many more Valentine's Days to come. I love you Andrew!

Carrie makes these DIVINE truffles, so I asked her to help me make some for a few people that I work with. I really did intend for it to be a group effort, but Carrie's a sweetheart and ended up doing it all herself while I took care of the boy. The little squiggles didn't turn out how I imagined in my head, but they still tasted amazing.

More Fun on The Ball

Ice Storm

The last two days we have had ice storms. A lot of power is out in the area and there have been 6 deaths from car accidents on the icy roads, BUT outside looks like a magical land of glass. Calvin has been sick the last two days, so today I am working from home so I can make sure he is okay and to make sure Carrie doesn't go insane with his fussiness. Here are some pictures that I took this morning. You should click on the pictures to see all of the detail.

A Saturday Outing

On saturday the weather was gorgeous, so Andy and I decided to show Carrie around Reston Town Center, a fun outdoor mall with a skating rink and fountain in the center. We wandered around for a couple of hours and then ate dinner at a Mexican restaurant that serves our favorite fajitas. Here are a couple of pictures of Carrie and Calvin, all dressed up and ready for a day on the town.

A Visit from Our Friends Down South

Yesterday Rebekah came up for work and her sister Jen came up for an interview, so they stayed the night with us. It was so fun to have them - two of the best people I've ever met. We went out to eat and talked and played the Wii. They left this morning and we were sad to see them go.

Do we know how to have a good time, or what?!?! Actually this was before the party really started. After going out to dinner, Jen's nice friend Josh came over for a few minutes, and then we played DDR on the Wii. Calvin got fussy and needed to go to bed at 11:30, but Andy came upstairs at 4:00AM!!!! I asked what he had been up to since he seemed strangely elated, and he said that he, Carrie, and Jen had been up playing boxing and tennis. This morning as we were fixing breakfast, Jen and Carrie said how much they hated Andy - that he was ruthless and ALWAYS won. Andy later explained that they were up all night because Jen and Carrie kept demanding rematches so they could beat him. I think Jen killed him once in boxing, but they went to bed otherwise frustrated. Ah, so sad I missed out.

Three Months Old Today

It's amazing how quickly the time passes. Calvin already has a large rubbermaid full of clothes that he doesn't fit anymore, he's up to 17lbs, and he laughs more every day. I could never have imagined loving a little one so much. He is loveable, adorable, and absolutely edible. Happy 3 months little guy!

He has the cutest smile - and he loves sharing it. He is always flirting, cooing, smiling and waiting to be noticed.

At his baby shower we received this little blow up pond. It has real water under the plastic so when you touch it, the bugs inside move around. He continues to be fascinated.

Playing with Daddy at the frog pond.

Chilling in his own mini-sized arm chair. He thinks he's tough stuff when he watches tv with us while lounging on his cushion.

A Few Pictures That Make Me Happy

Carrie and Calvin - BFF's. I'm so happy they like each other so much.

I love these ones because Calvin is the most restless baby I've seen. He's always trying to climb or push or squirm his way into fun places. He loves being upside down and sideways. We always know he's happy when he has an intense look on his face and drool stringing down the front of his shirt. He's already so curious - I can't wait to see what he'll get into once he can crawl!

This picture makes me happy because you always hope the man you marry will be a good father, but I've been pleasantly surprised at just how great Andy is with the baby. He has never once tried to get out of playing "tummy time" or changing a diaper. Someday I hope Calvin will realize how lucky he is to have such a great dad.