1 A.M.

There are few things more frustrating that letting a baby "cry it out." Of course, the term is extremely relative. I think everyone's idea of doing this is slightly different. Tonight, Caleb woke up for a feeding around midnight. Unfortunately, he didn't go back to sleep right away. After I put him back in bed, I heard him fussing again... So as I lay in bed, I began to analyze what might be wrong. Let's see. His diaper is usually not dirty at this time, but the nurse practitioner did say that the antibiotics could make him poop more... Did I just not smell it? Well, he is not crying very loudly. Maybe if I give him a little bit longer, he will drift back off to sleep like he usually does. More fussing... Quiet... More fussing. Ok, now he is getting worked up. So I go back in there, pick him up, change his diaper: not dirty, not even very wet, either. Oh well. Try to rock him. Notice that he seems unsettled, not interested in rocking. Try to feed him again. Maybe he is still hungry? Perhaps in my exhaustion, I pulled him off the boob too soon, in an effort to get myself back into bed: something that I now am too annoyed to do! Hmmmm. Well, he is not interested in feeding either. Instead, he seems extremely interested in the small amount of light that is trickling into his room from the hallway. Oooooo. I am not too thrilled at this point that apparently, Caleb just seems to want to be awake, randomly, at 1 A.M. That's the way it goes sometimes, with babies. This is true. But I'm too tired for this typical infant behavior! I'm also kicking myself for not getting to bed earlier. Why is it so hard for me to go to bed at a decent time? I always seem to want to get on facebook, post something on my blog, watch something on TV, I don't know, have time to do stuff that I want to do. It's that or go to bed early, I guess. And then sometimes I can't go to sleep anyway, so may as well stay up...
OK, well, after putting him back in bed again, you guessed it, I decided to let him cry for a while. And he seems quiet now. Thank you, Lord! Now, if only I can go back to sleep!
I wonder if I should check on him... Is he covered up? What if he is cold? What if he got uncovered during his vehement reaction to my lack of response? What if the blanket has crept too close to his face? What if he has rolled over? What if I go in there to check on him and he sees me, and wakes up and starts crying again?
Ahhhh... The joys. Yes, I'm still thankful. I have to remind myself that I am still thankful for this precious baby boy.

Well, I did go back to sleep. And wouldn't you know it, he looked just as adorable as ever when he woke up.
This picture below just cracks me up. It's as if he is saying :"what? whachoo talkin' bout? I didn't do anything!"
Exactly.

Christmas vacation part two (Dec 19th through 22nd)

After our wonderful day in Atlanta, we loaded back up in the Jeep, and headed to Columbus. The boys did great once again, and in Grandpa's words: we made good time. It was WONDERFUL to be at Mimomo and Beepops'. Mom insisted that we get a family picture on Sunday morning. And I'm so glad she did! The latest family pic we had before that one was the "we are the world one" from the Fourth of July fire works episode this summer--and I was still prego, of course. Here is our updated photo:

And now you all can see that I really DO need an angel above my head!

This next pic is entitled "my sister, the super model." :)

It was cool to have another day to hang out w/Sarah.


And my mother, beautiful as always.


Oh, with Caleb of course! 4 months old in these pics.

Caleb turned four months old on December 22nd. I gave him some rice cereal at Mom's for the first time. Come to think of it, I think it actually was on the 22nd. He seems to like it a lot!


Jon David and Luke decorating a gingerbread house. Luke looks slightly stressed.


Below: the boys enjoying one of their gifts from Mimomo and Beepops early: bubble bath! And Emory apparently enjoying it too. She is such a sweet dog.

Who, me? ;)


Mom and Dad, thanks for our date, the meals, the shopping time. Thanks for the vacation, and thanks for your generosity!!

Coming soon: Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Grandma and Grandaddy's!

At this time last year...

So I got my old calendar out today to update my new one with birthdates, etc... Yikes. I may have just set myself up for the day I forget your b-day... You can say: "but you wrote it down! I have proof from your blog!" Oh well. Anyway, I updated through June of 2010. When I started out with January, I had a flashback moment. I reflected briefly about the difference in my life now versus last year.
At this time last year, Don and I had made the decision to move to Wilmore, KY. We were starting the packing process. We were getting together with friends and family from the Castle Rock area for the last time. I was waking up in the middle of the night, feeling sick, and eating Popsicles in bed. Sweet Don was letting me sleep in and even bringing bowls of cream of wheat to my room! I had found out a/b being pregnant w/Caleb the day after Christmas. I was headed to the OB because of spotting, scared half to death that I was losing him... Thank God we heard his little tiny heart beat for the first time!! Mike and Kristi took us in for about a week, and at the end of January, we took the 3 day trek across the country to our newest adventure.
As a matter of fact, the move inspired my blog: on the road again. Wow, 2009 has been quite eventful. I wonder what 2010 will bring. In our minds: another year in Wilmore, KY with Don continuing on with the pursuit of his masters degree in biblical studies. For me: living the dream, baby! raising 3 kids @ home. For Jon David and Luke: turning 5 and 7, playing starwars wii, growing taller, weighing more, going to Kindergarten and second grade!! For Caleb: eating cereal, veggies, fruit, meat, crawling? walking? Talking? So exciting. I digress.
Happy New Year, everyone!

Christmas vacation part one

Caleb's recovery from RSV was slow and difficult. I spent the first few days of his illness taking him to the doctor and driving him around town to help him sleep in his car seat. One day, I put the DVD player in the car for Luke, and we went for a ride. Thank goodness for Luke's easy-going personality. Thank goodness also for Don taking the boys to and from school, so that I didn't have to take Caleb into any other germ infested sites. The steroid treatment that they gave him had a side effect listed as making him more vulnerable to getting sick. That was the last thing we needed!
We were in survival mode. House work was on the back burner. One day, I felt so frustrated, that I headed back to our bathroom during one of Caleb's naps to clean. It was a small part of the house. But at least it was something clean!
As the dust cleared from our crazy week, I realized that I needed to make preparations for our holidays down South. The boys' end-of-the-year activities were well under way, and although I was sad that I couldn't attend, I was more concerned about helping Caleb get totally well before our trip.
So the first leg of our journey started on Friday morning, December 18th. I had sent notes to the boys' teachers letting them know that we were leaving early. We were headed to Atlanta for the first night: to Sarah and Chris's house. Caleb did GREAT!!! The first 25 minutes or so -- getting out of Lexington -- were the most painful. He cried a lot. But he finally fell asleep. When he woke up, I fed him, we all ate lunch, and then he watched some of his Baby Einstein DVD. Don had invested in a sort of platform sort of thing from Best Buy that fit in between our two head rests. The older two boys watched movies on the DVD player mounted there. It fit just above Caleb's rear facing car seat. We had also invested in a smaller single screen DVD player just for Caleb. I would place it at his feet in his car seat. That worked out well, too.
We had snow in Tennessee, and some traffic to deal with off and on. But the most painful traffic was the last hour or so in Atlanta... Trying to get off at Sarah and Chris' exit was excruciating: we traveled a few miles in almost 30 minutes or something crazy like that. The boys were amazing--even Caleb!!! He would start to fuss, and I would just reach back and rub his head. He would keep watching his Baby Einstein DVD, and settle down. Unreal. Thank you, Lord!
When we arrived, Sarah and Chris were gone to a Christmas party. But Sarah had the house looking amazing, Christmasy, and there was even music playing in the background. A wonderful respite for weary travelers. :)
Jon David and Luke LOVED sleeping together on the futon. It reminded me of all of the times that Sarah and I used to sleep together on trips with our family growing up. They were giddy with excitement.
The next day, we had breakfast and just hung out. It was great. It was the Nicholsons' first time to see Caleb.
And it's pretty hard to post this picture without commenting on Sarah's photogenicness--although that's not a word.
Jon David had received a joke book from his teacher as a Christmas gift. GREAT idea!! He was on a roll reading Chris joke after joke. Jon David would read a joke, and give Chris the punch line, and Chris would laugh out loud every time! It was so sweet. And it really sounded like he was cracking up!


Hats off Chris. And love the hair!

Sweet Sarah made cookies with Jon David and Luke. Below is the evidence of Jon David's over exuberance about the sprinkles...



Oh, and she played a cool science game with them too. It was like a children's science trivia or something. They enjoyed it and did surprisingly well. Leave it to Sarah to have a science game in the house!

We had such a great time, Sarah! I can't believe I didn't take any pics of Emory that day! The boys had a great time playing with her. Thanks for being such a great sister and hostess!!!

RSV

Above and below: Caleb @ 3 months.



Hopefully the title of this post will shed some explanation for the time laps since the last one... Well, besides the time of year. :)
So let's go back to the first Monday in December... . I had decided to host my fusion group--a group of seminary wives that meets once a month to chat, share prayer requests, etc... Part of my motivation was to be on location with Caleb, so that I could more easily put him in bed if I needed to, and not have to miss out too much on group time. He was awake at first and did well, considering that he had the sniffles... at 3 months!! We had decided that if he wasn't improving by morning, we would take him to the doc. When it came time for him to go to sleep, I nursed him to sleep but he quickly woke up when I attempted to put him down... Second attempt, also a failure. I decided that I would let him cry.
Enters the hero of the day: DON. He had taken the older two boys to childcare so that he could study, but told me that he was willing to come home and help out with Caleb if I was in a bad spot. So while Caleb screamed, I sent the SOS text message. Don promptly arrived and held him for probably almost 30 minutes while he screamed off and on, fighting sleep. When it was time for Don to go pick up the big kids, he came out and said that we needed to take him to the doctor tonight. Caleb was sounding a little "rattly" and wheezy... So as soon as Don left, I began getting Caleb's hooded, footed fleece on and fitting him in the car seat. I quickly explained the situation to my friends, who were also on their way to get their children. I think I left before all of my guests... Everyone was so nice and offered prayers, help with the kids... thanks, friends!!
There was not a whole lot of time to think. I acted quickly, and headed to the nearest ER: Jessamine County Ambulatory Clinic. Thank the Lord, they had me back in a room in no time. Thank the Lord, also, for Caleb falling asleep on the way there. They gave him a nebulizer breathing treatment. He did ok with that, protesting towards the end. I had to hold him in place for 10 to 15 minutes. He was diagnosed with RSV. I was very nervous, but the doctor reassured me that it didn't always have to be like the horror stories I had heard. She guided me through what to watch for. Unfortunately, with RSV, since it's a virus, you just have to wait it out. As good as the service was, it was 11ish by the time we got out of there: with a prescription that I wanted to fill right then. The nearest pharmacy that was still open was in Lexington--30 minutes away. Thankfully again, Caleb slept in the car. And on the way home, around midnight, I stopped by McDonald's to try the new brownie melts. Yum! A timely blessing for an exhausted soul. :)
Within 24 hours, I was back at the ER... Don and I saw Caleb's ribs retracting a little bit , and since that was something to watch for, we didn't want to mess around. Again I was seen quickly, again Caleb had to do the nebulizer breathing treatment. This time he HATED it!!! He protested vehemently. I had to hold his little writhing, screaming body and hold the cup over his mouth at the same time. And then they made him do it AGAIN, b/c they weren't sure how much he got the first time. They also gave him some steroids, and sent me home with a prescription for more. So once again, I went to the pharmacy before returning home, but this time I think I made it before 10:00 to the one in Nichoasville.
The next morning: Wednesday: more retraction, slight blue line above the mouth, slight flaring of the nostrils. Even though I had an apt. with the pediatrician that afternoon, I called in and they told me to come on in. This visit was the turning point for us. It was so nice to be seen by a pediatrician, and to get a more clear explanation about that to watch for, etc... However the ER docs were really great too. I just really appreciated the Ped (well, actually, it was a nurse practitioner) for taking all the time I needed and wanted to explain Caleb's situation. She prescribed the nebulizer treatment for us to use at home. After this visit, we felt like things started to look up, and Caleb began to improve slowly but surely. We didn't feel quite as panicked every time his breathing seemed rattly. We just gave him his breathing treatment.
By the end of the week, he was significantly better. We then had one more week before we left for our Christmas vacation down South. Don still had finals week, etc...
Don and I have struggled though this semester. It's tough when someone in the family is sick all of the time. The most difficult by far was Caleb getting sick, of course. Sometimes, it feels like you are all alone--without family to help, and sometimes it's hard to feel God, too. I look back now, and I can see His work, though. He helped Caleb and I at the emergency room: the doctors saw us quickly and he slept in his car seat. Also, He provided Don with the flexibility to help me during this time. Even though Don had to sacrifice study time, he was still able to finish his semester strong. I am so proud of him, and thankful to God for providing.
During all of the craziness, the boys still had school, and holiday activities. Luke sang in his December program. I had to stay home with Caleb, but Don and JD got to go. Here are a couple of clips. I know I am biased, but do kids come any more precious than Luke Jombers? ;)




I don't know if the illness brought this about, but Caleb has developed a squeak! :) It's kinda funny. Here he is "squeaking" at Don. I wanted to leave you all with an encouraging image of this sweet baby. Thanks so much for praying for him, everyone!

A Thanksgiving of our very own.

A Caulley family first. After much deliberation, we decided that traveling South for both holidays with an infant would be too difficult. We opted to stay in our little Wilmore, KY for Thanksgiving, and to travel over Christmas when we all have two weeks off. I dearly missed being with my family! But it turned out to be a neat opportunity for our small, yet growing family, to make some unique memories together.
So we started off by roasting marshmallows in the backyard over a fire pit that Don beefed up. It was Thanksgiving Eve. We made smores and ate them. It was cold, and Caleb didn't last too long. But we had fun anyway! :)

On Thursday morning, I put the Turkey in the oven. Don did the dressing. A GREAT job, might I add. He also figured out how to make gravy! He made the pumpkin tea ring. When he went to take it out of the oven, he thought it didn't look quite right, then realized that he had forgotten to add flour. Classic. So I made another one later that evening. Good times. I was proud of him for trying!! I made Grandaddy's mashed potatos. Don also did the green beans, and opened the cranberry sauce. I was so impressed! It turned out great. Delicious. My husband rocks.





Side note: Caleb already LOVES his brothers. He cheers right up if he is grumpy and they come to talk to him and play with him. Jon David and Luke both are very helpful with him. They tell me when he is crying, and stay by his changing table if I need them too while I step away.

On black Friday, I went shopping with a friend. We found some great deals at Kohl's. Love it!
Then, Bama/Auburn game. Close one!

Saturday, we went to get a Christmas tree.



Caleb was a good boy in the car seat and stroller. :)


And then, we decorated, of course!

...with a little football on, too, naturally.

Caleb Thomas -- 3 months. And sweet Luke James.

Touch of reality: we have all been sick off and on since Caleb has been born. Most recently, Luke has an ear infection, and a low grade fever with cold symptoms. All three children have had a cough. And Don and I cycle in and out of feeling under the weather. We could use prayers for complete healing! And for not getting discouraged. Thankfully, the sicknesses has not kept us from having some fun. And God has taken care of us.

Below, a short video of Jon David reading a Christmas book to Caleb unsolicited. Unfortunately, I thought Don was trying to take a picture--not video footage. So my voice is much louder than JD's. Oh well. There ya go.

Caleb: 3 months old!

Above: Caleb at two 1/2 months.

Caleb turned 3 months old on Sunday, November 22nd. So here is a recap of his last week as a two month old:

We started off the week with pinkeye for JD and Luke. JD stayed home from school, and Luke doesn't go to school on Mondays. So here we all were at the house again! Well, a package from Aunt Sarah arrived and saved the day! :) She had sent dress up clothes, complete with hats and other accessories. They had a ball!

Notice Jon David's arm in the background. Sigh.

Always the clown.
They played as if they had a mission to do (with the Ninja and army outfits). I would send them on certain missions, and they would carry them out. So Jon David had to write a note at one point, letting me know their status. All very official, you know.

Translation: Something is not right. Enemies are coming.
The rest of the week was a recovery time. The boys attended school most days. It's been a little slow getting back to normal. But God is healing us. If you are reading this, please pray for Caleb. He now has the sniffles! :(

As another random note, Saturday night, I was reading them the story of Noah. There was a discussion question at the end asking "how do you know if someone is old." Jon David responded saying that they are wrinkled, they pull their pants up, they have gray hair (I think), and comfy couches in their houses. I was cracking up!

On Saturday afternoon, we went on a hike. It was beautiful. It did me a lot of good to get out. I soaked it up.

We saw a turtle on the way back. Jon David wanted to take him home.
Is it just me, or does Jon David look really old all of a sudden?

Sweet Luke Jombers. He loves to hike. He's like a machine. He kept with Don in the lead the whole way back.