August 8, 2012

Well hi there, August. You sure snuck up on me, didn't you??

I always heard that life with two kids was so much busier than life with one (which is ridiculously more busy than life with none!) And I can still remember very vividly the utter horror I felt when one of my best friends, who is the oldest of three, told me about how her baby book is filled to the brim, her middle sister's is filled out part way, and her youngest sister's has her birth info and a photo and that's it (yes, utter horror. I was probably 13 when she told me that, so you can imagine the melodrama that was wrapped up in my reaction.) Now, however, I am living it. Callen's been walking for 3 weeks now and I am just now getting around to writing about it. Sigh. Let this segway into a quick letter of apology to my little man.

Dear Callen,
If you ever look back on this blog, or the photo albums, or your baby books, and feel like you were overlooked compared to the vast amounts of information your sister has about her babydom, please know that it is not due to lack of love or care or infatuation with you. It is because I have realized that I would much rather be spending time with you than writing about you and because I would rather be in the moment, playing with you guys than taking photos of you guys playing. (Though I still think that you are probably the two most over-photographed kids on the planet, even if my photographing has slowed a bit since we first had Audia.) So, my apologies, darling. I love you more than words.
Mom

So, yes, Callen woke up one Saturday morning and knew how to walk, and has been walking ever since! It amazes me how sure on his feet he is; he pivots on a dime and if he loses his balance, which is rare, he always lands on his butt instead of his face. He's also been talking quite a bit more, and picking up new words at what feels like rapid speed. 'Bye' seems to have been his first real word. He also says 'Hi', though never on command. He says 'moh' for more, and also if he wants something. He says 'Mama' for both me and Chris, though sometimes he will say 'Dada' for Chris too. He says 'num num' when he's hungry and recently has started saying 'nie nie' at bedtime and naptime. The thing that I find the cutest is the way that he tries to snap his fingers when he sees, or is looking for, Fievel. I always snap to call Fievel and Cal tries now to do it too. If I remember correctly, I think Audia used to do the exact same thing with Cooper.

The past two weeks we spend on vacation at the cottage, with a quick jaunt to Grand Marais to meet up with my parents for my mom's 70th birthday. It was a wonderful trip. The weather was beautiful the entire time we were there. We spent every day in our bathing suits, playing in the sand, fishing, swimming, and just enjoying the beauty of the lake and the outdoors. Chris' mom, Brother, and soon to be sister-in-law met us at the cottage for a few days, and we even got to meet up with a good friend of mine who I've known since we were 11, who was up at a lake about 10 minutes from us to celebrate her birthday! It was overall a fabulous vacation and I am beyond bummed that it's come to an end!

Captain Audia




Donuts with Grandpa


Beautiful Grand Marais


I think this is one of 2 photos of me the entire vacation.....

Palisade Head

Painting with Nana


Happy Walking Boy

Full Moon over Horseshoe

Our little birdwatcher

Tuckered out!