Tennessee

Sometimes it will just hit me how much I love Tennessee. I love how it feels completely appropriate and just perfect to crank up the country music in my car as Caleb and I are driving through the green hills and trees. "I go baaaack! I go back..."

This video is of me horseback riding on Valentine's Day. It was such a wonderful idea to do that, Blakey! Thank you!

Valentines 2009

Valentine's Day this year was AWESOME! Our lil Saramarie was visiting, so she watched Caleb voluntarily (she even changed his diaper!!!!!!) while we went to Olive Garden for lunch and then we went HORSEBACK RIDING! I want a horse. I want one I want one I want one. Or two. Me needs them my precioussss. It was an incredible time, and so thoughtful and loving of Blake to plan. I loved every second of it. Blake also spent a great deal of time creating and putting together a fruit bouquet for me!!! He also got me flowers, a cute teddy, a hilarius balloon, a tiny box of chocolates, and wrote me a poem on a homemade card. Oh how much love I felt from him. He really out-did himself this year. I told him I want a fruit bouquet every year. I got Blake a bunch of candy he loves, a dart board, and baked two made-from-scratch fresh raspberry pies for him. We both gained at least 2 pounds. Happily.

Caleb was a happy part of our day as well. We gave him some things his grandma Haines got him for Valentine's day, including magnet letters for the fridge and a white and red stuffed puppy dog. We got him some foam letters for the bathtub and a balloon.

Until Valentines day, balloons were Caleb's worst enemy. He was unintentionally frightened by a gigantic bunch of pink and white balloons when he got surrounded by them once. Ever since, he'd see balloons at the grocery store and try to run away from them. Or, he'd point at them and give a face like, "I'm scared!!" So, for Valentines day we had a few balloons in the house. He warmed up to them and even started to beat them with his miniature baseball bat. His fear is over and now he calls them "Baaah--oo"s.

Caleb also got his Third Haircut this week. It went okay, but I think I am going to try to cut it myself next time. Just strip him down to a diaper, hand him a sucker, and go at it. I'll report with my luck when I do it!

HILARIOUS DIAPER COMMERCIAL

Seriously? I love this. LOL

Go STEELERS!!!

Okay so Sunday afternoon, 1 hour before the Superbowl, Blake and I decided that we are hardcore Steeler Fans! Woo!!! Go Steelers! Go team!

I love my Blakey!

What a wonderful week!

OH man. A lot of people told me my life was over when Caleb started "getting into things" or "moving around." I beg to differ!!! My life has begun!!

Caleb is so happy moving around all over the place. He loves discovering things and figuring things out. It's so cute to see him learn, and sometimes downright hilarious. He still loves mommy and daddy attention a LOT, but sometimes he will entertain himself for a little while as he discovers something new or just plays with a toy he loves.

I know, this seems cruel but I couldnt help myself. Who doesnt love a baby in a t-shirt and snow boots?!

Caleb loves his little red wagon he got for his birthday. Blake found out he'd actually lay in it a be still while he rode. It was funny seeing him just lay there!

PETAL PRINCESS BALL

Our ward had a primary activity for the girls and their daddy's. My dad called me that week and asked, "Will you go with me to the Petal Princess Ball?" He needed to go as Bishop, so why not take his daughter who is as old as a lot of the moms of the primary kids!?

I wore a paper tiara and did my hair and had glitter everywhere. It was so much fun. It was also such a wonderful time dancing with my dad and watching all the little girls dance with their dad's! What a great night!

UTAH PHOTOSHOOT

Out in Utah, Lori, Tonia, me, and momma Haines took the three baby cousins to get their pictures taken. Connor and Ashlyn are about 9 months old and Caleb is 11 and a half months old. They were so cute. The funniest part was watching all three of us moms jump around like a bunch of circus animals trying to make them smile!!! You can see the expressions in their faces, like, "woah... those ladies are weird."

Caleb

Connor

Ashlyn

Blake's Birthday!!

Happy Birthday to the Love of My Life!

God gave Blake snow in the morning...

And I gave him cutting my hair... or shall I say BUTCHERING my hair. (I cut 19 inches off.)

He loved that!
Caleb gave him a ping pong table...
It has been used a lot already!!!And Blake's parents gave him an awesome volleyball/badminton set with the net and all! It's set up in the backyard right now. And my parents gave him a beautiful big tool box... or it's more like a tool storage system or somethin...!

We had dinner at Applebee's with TN Family. 11 adults, 1 booster, and 3 high chairs. Good times. Happy 26th Birthday Blakey! This year's gonna rock!

1 Year Checkup

I forgot to fill everyone in on the awesome first birthday that Caleb had, aside from his big ball birthday bash! First, he woke up really happy and opened presents. Then he had a pancake breakfast. Then, he played for a while and went down for a good nap. He woke up right before his party and had a great time. After that, we all bundled up and went with my parents to the... drumroll please... NFL PLAYOFF GAME! Hahaha! It was not too cold, so we went for it! Caleb had a great time. He clapped when the whole crowd clapped, and went "aaay!" When we would yell, "Yay!" He was a great sport. What a first birthday!

Handsome boys in matching hats!

He even got a little nap during the game.

I mean CHECK OUT the snowboots and the puffy coat. Can it get any cuter? I submit that it CAN NOT! :)
So remember how Caleb used to be on the large end of the scale as a small baby??? Well, now he is as follows:

Weight: 21.5 pounds, 25th percentile

Height: 30 inches, aka 2 1/2 feet tall, 50th percentile

{Noggin: Off the charts again!}

So he is tiny now! The low end of the charts! Weird! I know, you mommies are thinking, "Well, duh, he's moving all OVER the place." It's true. I just didnt know it would happen with Caleb because he eats soooooo much! But I am kind of happy. I dont want him to get too big too fast. :) As long as he's still growing, it is fine by me that he is tiny.

So below is a clip of Caleb at my Grandma and Grandpa Hiatt's house. He loves the trampoline already!!


And below, he is already a man after his daddy's heart!

Caleb's Big Ball Birthday Bash!!!

Caleb had an awesome birthday party! With just a week of planning, inviting, shopping, sewing, decorating, and cooking, the party really turned out great! At least 40 people showed up, kids playing all over the place, people eating, and Caleb running around enjoying the company. So many different kinds of balls everywhere, he was thrilled!!

Cozmo was a large part of the festivities, of course!

Caleb had fun opening his gifts. Every gift he'd open, he wanted to play with, but I'd have to put it to the side and grab a new one. He kept saing "woah.... woah... woooaah..."

He sat in his new chair from momma and da-da to open his gifts.

He was a great sport!

The food turned out awesome, meatballs, and everything round that we could come up with! Even round ball-shaped apple juice bottles!

The little kids at the party helped Caleb blow out his candles! He had one on all of his cakes. The baseball cake was specifically his though.

He wasn't so sure about cake. He let me feed it to him, but he didnt want to dig in himself. His grandpa put his hands in it to encourage more of a "shoveling" effort, but he just wanted the sticky stuff to get off his hands. He thought it tasted good though!

Ball lights, kids playing with ball toys, ball picture frames!

Caleb in his birthday shirt!

My mom and I sewed a big felt "1" on the back of his shirt, it looked SO cute!

Basketball party favors for party people to take home! They had round candy in them, Gobstoppers!

The ball cakes! I had a blast creating these creations, and I was very excited with how they turned out, especially the baseball! So fun!

Grandma helped us so much for Caleb's party!

He had a fun party! Yay for Caleb's First Birthday party!!!

1 Year

Exactly a year ago at this moment, I was laying in a hospital bed experiencing the most intense and exhilarating pain. I was 60 pounds heavier than I am right now, swollen, draped in a beautiful shabby hospital gown. But, I was excited because Caleb was soon to arrive! It has been a year since I had a baby growing inside of me. A full year of love, joy, sleepless nights, emotional craziness, smiles, laughs, tears, milestones, thrills, and many blessings.

I am so grateful that two years ago, God put the desire in me to have a baby. I know that it was pure inspiration from God to begin trying to get pregnant. Caleb was sent to us at this time for so many special purposes that have already been prevalent in our family.

Dear Caleb,

I cannot count how many hours
I have walked in circles, rocking you to sleep
I cannot forget the instant love
I first felt for you so deep

I will never ever find boredom in
Hearing your laugh and seeing you smile
I will never regret the sacrifice
Of carrying you in my tummy for a while

I cannot believe it is true
That God entrusted your precious soul with me
I cannot imagine, either,
Any other way it should be

I will never stop feeling gratitude
For being blessed to be your mom
I will never stop praying for God to help me
To be gentle, dependable, and strong

I cannot stop loving you
I never will, throughout all time and all space
I cannot imagine the world without you in it
With your smile lighting up your face

Love, Mommy