Category: play

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11 Months Old

Caleb turned 11 months old on Tuesday.  We can’t believe Caleb’s almost one year old!

Over a week ago (last Thursday), Caleb took his first steps.  Well, he’s taken 1 or 2 steps on his own before this… but on Thursday, he walked to me in 5-6 steps.  He tried walking again today outside.  He still prefers to hold onto somebody’s hand or another object.  He also favors clinging to mommy’s legs as she walks around trying to get stuff done, making her do what she now calls the Caleb shuffle.

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He’s been trying to feed himself more often.  Most of the time, he won’t eat unless he gets to try himself.  Yes, our son is determined.  And, yes, Caleb is messy.

Yummy hummus & a giant pretzel stick:

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Caleb’s spinach fun:

 

Also, our son has started throwing infant tantrums.  I knew that we could expect them in the toddler years… close to 2 years old or so.  Did you know there are a few babies who throw tantrums?  Ours is one of them.  It used to be where we would take something away and he would just scream or cry.  A few days ago, I closed his bedroom door since it was time for him to get ready for his nap.  Caleb wanted to go out to keep playing (as always).  He took one look at the door, one look at me, and then flung himself on the floor on his back and starting hitting the floor with his legs/feet and arms/hands while screaming and crying.  Quite a sight. 

Here’s a short video of Caleb with Ellie’s (our kitty) collar.  He pulled it off her neck.  Each time Chris tries to touch it, Caleb yanks it away from him out of fear that it might get taken away.  This is just Caleb’s infant way of saying, “mine!!!!”  Did I mention we have a strong-willed child?

Also, on occasion, Caleb makes it very known that he doesn’t want to be put in his car seat.  He arches his back, yells/screams/cries… grabs at the mirror, at the window, at mommy’s hair.  This almost always seems to draw a slew of onlookers since Caleb rarely does his protests quietly.  No, Mommy is not abusing this child.  And, yes, Mommy is strict and still makes her child get into the car seat. 

 

Besides the tantrums, Caleb’s learning to do lots of fun stuff too.

Caleb is still a little scared of the vacuum cleaner sound, but he loves to play with the vacuum.  I can’t wait until he can help me clean.  Yay! (I know, I know… please just let me dream!)

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Caleb likes to make himself comfy in his stroller. 

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Caleb loves to clap.  Here’s a 1-second video of it.  We have another better one that we’ll put up once we download it.

 

Caleb loves to sort things.  Give him measuring cups.  Give him regular plastic cups.  Give him things to put into cups.  Give him rings.  Give him blocks.  Sorting things is fun, fun, fun. 

He even likes to put things where they don’t quite fit or belong.  Caleb, that block doesn’t fit into daddy’s xbox!

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Caleb loves to go through cabinets, especially the ones we’ve chosen to not childlock.  He loves to pull things out of the cabinets/drawers.  And we always find unexpected gifts in cabinets too.  Mommy says to daddy, “Have you seen where Caleb’s green ring is?  He was just playing with it, but it’s missing now.  (10 minutes later) …Oh nevermind, I found it behind the extra diaper wipes, inside the closed cabinet that’s inside his closed bedroom closet.” 

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I’m sure there’s lots more Caleb is learning to do, but this post is getting long.  So, bye for now!

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The Bully

You can stereotype Chinese/Asian people all day and all night long.  You can talk about their slanted eyes.  And for the most part (at least the older generation) their short stature.  You can even talk about Chinese people being passive.

That’s fine and all.  But Caleb will have none of that passive side of him.  Oh no.  Yvonne went to a play date this afternoon with Caleb.  This son of ours, as many of you know, is quite active and is strong-willed.  So he’s playing on his ride-on toy.  Another kid 2 and a half years old decides he wants to ride on it.  Well Caleb does not approve of this action.  He crawls around to the back and starts screaming at this child and hitting him.  Not only does this other child not get off, he decides to give Caleb another toy for him to play with.  Well Caleb accepts this toy, only to use it as a weapon and starts hitting him with it.  The rest of the afternoon, he’s eyeing his toy making sure no kid gets on HIS toy.

So that’s the story I was told.

Another funny story:

A couple of weeks ago I was trying to feed Caleb his snack.  I was feeding him avocados which he loves.  But avocados by themselves tend to be pretty thick and require breast milk so Caleb can swallow it better.  Well this day at that time, we were out of pumped breast milk.  So I turn to Yvonne and tell her, "I need you to squeeze some milk in the bowl."

Now stop and imagine this for a little bit…  Imagine me and Yvonne sitting on the ground, Caleb right next to us, and a plastic bowl with avocado in it that’s way too thick.  Maybe just the moms and dads will know about this, but breast milk just doesn’t come out of the boob on command.  It takes the fine skill of a baby’s mouth or a breast pumping machine to get milk out (and the machine doesn’t work that well).  But this boy needs some milk in his avocado.

Although hesitant at first, Yvonne is convinced to do it.  She pulls out her breast and attempts to squeeze some milk in the bowl.  It takes a while to get going, but not too long, a drop of milk comes out.  And then another drop.  And then yet another drop.  She starts feeling the let down coming, and they are no longer drops, but streams of milk coming out of her boob.  She was spraying everywhere.  In the bowl.  On my hand.  I guess it’s hard to aim when you’re laughing so hard.  But we did it.

Caleb ate some avocados.