100 Snapshots of Caleb

I thought it’d be fun to list 100 off-the-cuff observations about the STAR of my Blog:

1. He was born weighing 9 pounds 2 ounces; now he is over 17 pounds.
2. He’s a big eater. He works up a sweat when he eats.
3. His hair is drenched and I have to blow on it to cool him.
4. Sometimes he gets scared of certain furry toy animals.
5. For example, he got scared of the furry black creature on Sesame Street.
6. The first time he started crying while watching it, I didn’t know why.
7. The second time, I realized it was the furry thing, because he cried at the same part in the 8. show.
9. It’s rare that he cries anymore. So when he starts crying desperately during his beloved 10. show, that’s unusual.
10. Another thing he got scared of was his new lion teething toy.
11. But only when I held it up and acted like it was talking.
12. When he’s drifting off to sleep, he can be frightened by loud yawns, coughs, or laughter. 13. He’s sensitive that way.
14. When he gets frightened, he cries like he did when he was a tiny baby.
15. But he is quickly comforted.
16. He has the cutest little pout.
17. He pouts first when he gets scared of something. Or if he gets sad.
18. He also pouted once when touched by music.
19. The music was Beethoven. He loves Beethoven.
20. He also enjoys his Baby Beethoven DVD.
21. He is content to sit in his bouncy and watch the show.
22. His left leg never stops. Only the left.
23. It kicks incessantly, in order to rock himself in the bouncy.
24. He has figured out that’s what he needs to do to rock.
25. He is trying to sit up now.
26. He will pull forward in the bouncy or when laying down.
27. He can roll over both ways. Easily.
28. But he can’t stay on his arms for long periods.
29. After he gets tired, he starts whimpering.
30. He gets tired after just a few minutes.
31. I constantly have to turn him unto his back.
32. But within a minute, he’s back on his tummy.
33. It’s an endless cycle. It’s easier to have him in his bouncy.
34. But he needs to exercise, so we keep playing this game.
35. He’s a big sleeper. He still sleeps many hours a day.
36. He also sleeps at night, waking up only to eat.
37. He sleeps next to me, so he searches for me, nurses, and falls back to sleep.
38. When I work on the computer, he sleeps on my lap on the Boppy.
39. When he first wakes up in the middle of the night, he’s cranky.
40. Unless he finds the breast before he fully rouses. Then he’s fine.
41. Breastfeeding is as much a comfort to him, as it is food.
42. He has a strong sucking reflex still.
43. Sometimes I can trick him in the middle of the night and give him the pacifier instead.
44. Especially when I know that he’s not hungry.
45. He doesn’t use the pacifier much otherwise. Only as a teething tool.
46. When he’s first awakening, he thrashes about wildly, ending with many exaggerated stretching movements. He needs a few minutes to fully wake up.
47. He smiles a lot. This kid WANTS to be happy.
48. Even when he’s upset or sad, or hungry, he tries to smile when I smile at him.
49. He’s got a great sense of humor. He understands my jokes.
50. When I make funny faces, funny sounds, or when I roughhouse him.
51. Yes, I roughhouse him. He loves it.
52. When something tickles his funny bone, he laughs out loud.
53. He especially laughs hard if I’m also laughing. We play off of each other.
54. Then, he doesn’t want to stop laughing, even after the novelty of the joke has worn off.
55. He mostly laughs at stuff I do, but he also finds things in shows amusing, like the Rubber Ducky Song (you’ve seen the video).
56. But he usually doesn’t find it amusing more than once. Kind of like “I’ve heard that joke before. Got anything new?”
57. When he sits next to me in his bouncy and I’m on the computer, he just stares at me.
58. When I look at him, he’ll break into a huge grin.
59. He looks for my eye and can’t wait to have me look at him. He’ll coo to encourage me to do so.
60. Often when he grins, he wrinkles his nose and opens his mouth wide.
61. He uses little coughs now to get attention.
62. Or to let us know that he has found something slightly funny, interesting, or enjoyable (when he’s not outright laughing).
63. I think that coughs are an easy way for him to make a sound, to communicate.
64. He is ticklish.
65. If I’m adjusting his clothes or his diaper, he’ll start chuckling.
66. He doesn’t cry when he’s hungry. Sometimes he whimpers if I’ve waited very long to feed him. But mostly he waits for me to nurse him.
67. I know, because several times, he’d start nursing like he’s famished. I’d be amazed that he wasn’t making more noise to get his food.
68. I think that he trusts that his food is coming. Mommy knows.
69. When he first starts nursing, he has a look of concentration in his eyes. As if to say, “This is serious business.” I love that look.
70. If he’s very hungry, he’ll also whimper for the first few minutes, until he starts to fill up.
71. Things can distract him from his hunger. Like Sesame Street, a walk, a car ride, or playing with us.
72. He is teething now big time.
73. He makes this deep guttural sound. He has done this for quite a few weeks.
74. It seems to be getting worse for him. He also makes whiny, whimpering sounds next to his throaty sounds these days. Poor little guy’s hurting.
75. He eats his hands, chews my fingers and teething toys, takes homeopathic teething tablets and Baby Orajel for it. They don’t help much.
76. Except for the other night, when I gave him BOTH the teething tablet and the Orajel and he was VERY quiet in the sling during our dinner. I may have overdosed him on it a bit. Oops. (...)
77. But what really helps is if I play with him; he’ll forget that he’s hurting.
78. Or again, his shows or a walk will completely distract him from his troubles. He LOVES walks!
79. He still has his serious side.
80. He can stare so seriously at things, people, or his show at times. Sometimes it’s hard to rouse him from his concentration.
81. He likes baths. He has NEVER cried in his bath.
82. But I’ve noticed, that he’s not completely relaxed in it either. He doesn’t smile as easily when he’s in the water as at other times. So I think that he might have a little apprehension towards the water. He keeps his guard up.
83. He likes to watch my screensaver. He recognizes me on the pictures; he smiles and coos in response (since 2 months old).
84. He babbles, trying to talk. He holds my gaze and we communicate with each other for as much as 20 minutes, at times. But he has to be the one to initiate it.
85. He still expresses all kinds of emotions in his sleep (smile, laugh, cry, rapid loud breathing, etc.).
86. He also purses his lips in his sleep. Same as on the first photo we ever had of him, the 20 week ultrasound.
87. He still grabs and holds on to his ear or his hair while sleeping.
88. I found a birthmark on his third toe (right foot).
89. He has the fastest growing fingernails in history.
90. His hair is still unmanageable. But I refuse to cut it.
91. He loved his banana and sweet potato (when mommy cheated).
92. He startles when I suddenly walk back to where he is. So I try to start talking to him before I get there.
93. He likes being in the sling. He recognizes it when I pull it out.
94. He can be pulled to a standing position. He holds that position now indefinitely. We only need to balance him.
95. He’s got very strong legs. No more buckling knees.
96. He has started reaching out for things. Willfully. (This has been a bit slow in coming.)
Instead of his thumb, he sucks his index finger. Or the middle finger. Or the pinkie. Or all at once. Anything, but the thumb!
97. He is fascinated with my camera. (He knows it real well.)
98. He loves it when Daddy lifts him straight up and down. Daddy’s rocking (or dancing) can also comfort him real well.
99. He intently watches us eat. He has understood for a long time that what goes into our mouth is food.
100. He knows how to “kiss” – opening his mouth wide as he nears mommy’s face.