Apple Picking

Following our camping adventures a few weeks ago, we stopped at an apple orchard to stock up on the must have ingredient for all of our fall favorites. We no joke left with 100 apples! Calvin fell in LOVE with them (see evidence below). We would give him a head start by taking a big ole bite out of the apple and he would do the rest. The little guy would chisel away at the juicy thing with his two bottom teeth and probably consumed more apples at the end of the day than either Jakob or myself. He ended up a sticky disaster but I couldn't deny the kid (again- see below). Not that I needed another reason to love fall but I think I found one...

Cracking Up

Turn up the audio and enjoy!
(I particularly love the moment right after the first laugh..)
Thanks for a fun visit Auntie Sarah!

Say Cheeeese!!

After nearly two months of not so patiently waiting for the kid to let me photograph his two little chompers...

I finally got 'em!

First Time Camper

This past weekend, we traveled to Wisconsin with a large group of our church friends for some quality time outdoors. I have to be honest, the idea of camping with an 8 month old made me more than anxious but we had a blast. Marshall was in heaven. Cal licked explored every thing Mother Nature had to offer and we enjoyed relaxing outside on a beautiful fall weekend. Great conversation. Great food. Great. Great. Great. 

And then came the night. And the night was cold. And the night was long. And we were up. Every hour.

And then came the morning and the greatness resumed. 

Overall, I would say that the weekend was a success and everyone enjoyed themselves. I dare say we will even be back next year for the annual event- with earplugs in tow for all of our fellow campers! 

After trying out dozens of others, this pine cone won the taste test.

 

Nothing better than a nice nap outside on a fall day.

A little quality time with Uncle TK

and Dad

and Marshy.

We may have a future Cub Scout on our hands.

Month Eight

Just as predicted, Calvin is officially crawling around and into EVERYTHING! Month eight was mostly spent hiding the dog's water bowl and frantically baby proofing the condo as Calvin discovered every single outlet/cord/electronic in the house. Fun? Yes! Tiring.. OMG Yes!

In addition to exploring every inch of our home, Cal sprouted his second tooth, had his passport photo taken and became best friends with Marshall. We relaxed and enjoyed a few quiet weekends at home with our little family after a month of busy travelling. I would say that the highlight of month eight was celebrating Cal's dedication with our family and friends- more photos to come! 

Photo time.

Here's the happy chunk this month...

EIGHT MONTHS

For your comparison...

SEVEN MONTHS

Here's what we have learned about Cal this month...

Stats: 

We are really looking forward to Cal's 9 month check-up next month when we get to see how much he has grown. I'm guessing he is in the 18 pound range. These days, he is wearing mostly 9 month clothes and a size 2 diaper when he is in disposables. Such a big boy!

Eating: 

I would like to rename month eight as the Month of the Puff. Following his second tooth, we introduced Cal to the flavorless world of puffs. And surprise, surprise- he loved them! Puffs and pieces of freeze dried fruit are the perfect distraction to an otherwise nonstop day. Cal will happily sit in his highchair for hours minutes on end "mmmm-ing" over his finger foods. As for purees, I can no longer keep track of which foods Calvin has tried. The list is growing daily and he has yet to hate much of anything- besides broccoli. A few recent favorites include avocados and pears. In other news, he now enjoys a sippy cup of water with his meals, just like the big kids. How cute is that?!

Sleeping: 

Cal is now routinely sleeping through the night from 8pm-ish until 7am-ish. It's A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!! As for naps, he typically takes a short nap in his stroller when we are out for our morning walk with Marshall and a longer nap in his crib in the afternoon. I remember whining to our pediatrician at Cal's 6 month appointment that I was frustrated that he would only take random 15 minute naps in swings/strollers/etc. She told us to hang in there and promised that by his 9 month visit he would likely have put himself on his own nap schedule. Right again. 

Milestones:

Razzing. Apparently this is the official term for the constant noise he is making. It's a drooly messy "brrrrr" and he does it all day long. He assumes everyone understands him. And we do. Because we are his parents. And we speak razz.

Crawling. Crawling. Crawling. Now that he has figured out how to crawl forward there is no stopping him! (There was one hilarious week where he would only crawl in reverse.) He is obsessed with Marshall lately and will follow him around around the house much to Marshall's delight. He even started crawling around while carrying toys in his mouth- just like his BFF- hah! He also started pulling himself up on things and was found standing in his crib the other day.. standing! Okay kid, you can slow down now. 

I'm over this photo shoot. Later guys.

Tie Chair

The perfect solution to our bar height dining room table problems. Introducing... 

the Tie Chair

After trying out three different high chairs and booster seats we have finally settled for simplicity. It's genius really. Sure, we are literally just tying our baby to the dining room chair but it works great! Cal will still be rocking the red high chair for most of his meals but he now has the option to sit at the high table with us big kids when we are in the mood for a fancy five o'clock dinner of puffs and bananas. Cheers to the beginning of many family dinners around the table!

Downtown Date

Last Thursday, Calvin took me on a date downtown. It was perfect- he went all out and really thought of everything. We started off by taking the train downtown. 

It was Calvin's first trip on the "L" and he LOVED it (btw- I always thought it was the "El" but apparently I have been wrong and stand corrected- isn't is short for "ELevated train?!" whatevs..).

Although he was more than ready for a morning nap, he couldn't bare the thought of sleeping when there was so much people watching staring that had to be done. 

After a stop to try on a dress for an upcoming wedding we will be going to in a few months (in MEXICO!!), we headed over to the famous Sprinkles Cupcakes to pick up a little treat. 

Does this guy know the way to his Mama's heart or what??

We enjoyed a little lunch together, shared a soup, and survived an epic Dyson hand dryer induced meltdown. You know the ones.. 

OMG! So loud!
My date fell asleep as I strolled through the city and enjoyed a little quiet shopping time.

He woke up just in time to pick out this little addition to his fall wardrobe. I've never seen him happier about clothes before. Adorable.

We rode the train home. Cal slept though the whole trip. Thankfully, I did not. (Quick show of hands for those who have slept on the train and missed their stop- thanks- glad I'm not alone.) All in all, a perfect day with the most handsome date. Thanks Cal, you really know how to treat a lady!!

Later that evening, I enjoyed my fancy dancy cupcake with my all-time favorite date who is old enough to enjoy the sugary amazingness that is a Sprinkles cupcake.

We Have a Crawler

Someone is officially on the loose!
 
And that someone is busy eating dog food and playing with computer cords. Ahhhh!! I'm off to buy outlet covers...