Potty Training

I've been planning on potty training Caleb now for about two months and finally decided this was the week.  He had been showing signs of readiness since he turned two a few months ago.  He has been telling me when he goes pee and poop in his diaper.  Caleb has always hated getting his diaper changed.  He usually would cry or throw some kind of tantrum when changing him.  Especially if someone other than me changed him.
So anyway, I went out and bought 20 or so pairs of underwear, an extra pair of sheets, a mattress pad, disposable butt wipes, a little boy potty chair, stickers, poster board and a few awesome toys.  I was planning on starting the process this past Friday because we had plans Thursday and Friday morning.  So Tuesday night I washed all his underwear and when I put them away he took his diaper off and put a new pair of undies on.  An hour later he told me he needed to go potty and went pee in the toilet for the first time ever.  He went about 10 times that night all in the toilet.  He was so excited.  We gave him a sticker every time he went.  The next morning around 10am he pooped in his underwear then immediately told me, so I took him to the bathroom and we flushed his poop in the toilet and said, "bye bye poopy."  Around 3 o'clock the same day he went into the bathroom without telling me and pooped for the first time.  The little boy I watch told me Caleb was trying to poop.  He has been a champ ever since.  The first three days he liked using the little potty, but after that he just started using the big potty.  He doesn't even like to use the smaller seat on the big toilet anymore.  It makes it especially nice when we are out and about.
That was now three weeks ago and I'm proud to say my now big boy has been potty trained completely.  He has only had 3 accidents in the last 3 weeks and has now potty trained himself at night too.  I'm such a proud mommy.  The last three nights he has taken off his own diaper at night and has gone to the bathroom.
I thought this potty training business was supposed to be hard.
My little man is 26 months and 100% potty trained.  He now enjoys going potty every place we go.  He loves to put a long piece of toilet paper half way in the toilet and flush.  He watches it swirl around until it's gone.  He is funny like that.
I'm super blessed and super proud of my little man.  Mommy loves you Caleb.

Caleb's TWO year photo shoot!

Caleb and I went to Thatcher, AZ a few weeks ago and while we were there I had Caleb's pictures taken.  We went to a working farm for the shoot.  It was a lot of fun and Caleb did awesome.  He loved all the trucks and tractors and lucky for him he was able to play on most of them.
We stayed the night with my Grandma Pearl and had a wonderful visit with her.

Caleb is TWO in every aspect of the word.  He is a crazy little man and keeps me on my toes all day long.  He is talking up a storm.  He tells me exactly what he wants and what he doesn't want.  He forms two, three, four and even five word sentences.
Caleb knows many of his colors (red, blue, yellow, green, black).
He knows some of his numbers also, but won't say them in a row.  He just likes to tell you how many things there are.  He will show me some ants on the ground and tell me there are four ants.  If you ask Caleb how old he is he says THREE.
He loves his alphabet puzzle and can recognize most of the letters and can tell me the sounds of many. Again he doesn't sing the alphabet in order.
Caleb owns 8 puzzles and can do all of them with no help.  We do two or three of them before he goes to bed at night.

He thinks I'll protect him from daddy.  

Wearing daddy's shoes!

Caleb just threw that shoe at his daddy taking the picture.  Nice!

Driving daddy's car.  He loves his daddy.

 

Easter

Caleb had so much fun this Easter.  He loved finding eggs and of course eating all the candy.  He was lucky enough to have 3 Easter egg hunts.  Thursday before Easter our friend Kimmie Curry had a play group in the courtyard at her home and they had an Easter hunt.  Then on Saturday we were at the Allred reunion in Thatcher and had another one.  Then of course Easter Sunday at the G&G Ferrin's he had his 3rd and final hunt.  I only have pictures from his G&G's place thanks to Katie who took a ton.  
We went to Thatcher, AZ on Friday with G&G Bavaro, Tiana and her two kids & Caleb and I.  We all drove together in Missy's Tahoe and shared 1 hotel room.  Note to self NEVER share a room with Caleb and my dad.  My dad is the loudest snorer and it kept Caleb up all night which then kept everyone else up. On top of that we had double beds which are just way to small for two people to share.  All in all the trip was really fun.  It was wonderful seeing family and I love spending time with my Grandma Pearl.  
I'm thankful for this past Easter Sunday.  I know my Savior lives.  I am grateful for his perfect example and  for the love he gives to me and my family.  I feel blessed. 

Easter Morning!

Cousin Avery, Grant & Caleb eating their Easter egg candy.

Caleb loves playing with Grandma Vi's walker.  

Duh!

Caleb and Grant finding eggs!

Towards the end of the night Caleb & Grant decided to play in the water. Grandpa George helped.  It was a good thing I brought Caleb's pajamas he was drenched. 

Grant and Caleb playing together.  Best cousins.

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter!

Shark Helmet

Caleb loves riding his bike.  We got him a balance bike for Christmas.  He is absolutely in love with it.  He rides it everyday and has a blast going up and down hills at the golf course and riding up and down drive ways.  He is a little daredevil so we got him a new bike helmet.  Unfortunately, when we took him to South Mountain to ride on the dirt we left the new helmet at home.  oops!  Here are a few cute pictures of him on his bike and showing off his new helmet.  

His face says it all!

My favorite subject!

I can't believe my baby is going to be two in less than two months.  It's amazing how much he has changed in such a short amount of time.  He is such a talker.  He puts 2, 3 and even 4 words together all the time now.  He can pretty much tell me what he wants and what he doesn't want.

FACTS about Caleb:

• He sleeps with Thomas or James every night.  Not a plush soft train.  The hard wood trains.  
• My baby boy was skin tested for allergies a few weeks back.  He is allergic to and not limited to PEANUTS, DOGS, CATS, MOLDS, SOME TREES, SOME GRASSES, EGGS and the list goes on.  His poor little back was covered in huge red pumps.  Now I know why his noes runs like a water fountain. 
• He loves to make the sounds of the alphabet.  B, C and F are his favorite.
• He gets his tools or daddy's real tools and fixes stuff around the garage and house.  He loves fixing his bike and daddy's car.
• He knows and can make all the animal sounds.  I love to hear his Rooster.  
• He rides his two wheel balance bike around the neighborhood like no ones business.  He goes down the steepest hills he can find at the golf course by our home.  I had to start making him wear his helmet because he is such a daredevil.  When he falls he just gets right back up and keeps going.
• He started to sing recently.  His favorite song to sing is Dinosaur Train.  He makes his voice really deep when he sings it.  So funny.
• Favorite movies or shows: Ponyo, Dinosaur Train, Word World, Shaun the Sheep, Babies, Walking with Dinosaurs & Finding Nemo.
• He is a big boy now and doesn't cry when mommy has to go bye bye.  This is so nice not having to leave a crying baby.  
• Caleb loves to jump, ride his bike, go on walks(3 to 4 a day), fix things, play with his wooden train set, stack blocks, read books, play with flashlights and go to G&G's to hang out.  
• I've never met a kid who likes to snack as much as Caleb does.  He loves licorice, popsicles, pickles, green olives, picking oranges then eating them, suckers(dum dums), anything chocolate, dried cherries, pears, apples, strawberries, grapes, cheese, yogurt or chocolate covered pretzels & jerky.
• He weighs 29.5 lbs and is about 35 inches tall.  He wears a size 7 shoe and 2T everything.  He loves to pick out his own clothes. I give him two choices and he chooses what he wants to wear. 
• He goes to bed at 8pm and wakes up at 6:15am.  Then he goes down for 1 nap at 12pm for about 2 hours. 
• A few of his favorite things to say: Fix it, no mine, vitamin please, brush teeth, timber bite, no this way, watch this, snack please, mommy's room(he says this when he wants to sleep in my room), daddy fix it, Thomas track or James track, night night Zachary(the little boy I watch), mommy outside, & seriously bama(grandma).   

.

Rob and I are so blessed to call him our own.  He is has brought love and joy into our home.  I love being his mommy.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas is my favorite time of the year.  Especially spending it with my wonderful husband and baby boy.  Rob actually had 4 days off this Christmas.  It was absolutely wonderful.  We spent Christmas Eve day and night with my family and Christmas day with his.
My dad cooked up an amazing prime rib and it was delicious.  I made peppermint bark which turned out great, but the stuffed acorn squash was less desirable.  I was super bummed it didn't turn out.  My dad told me I'm like my Grandma Sarah always trying new recipes.  I take that as a compliment.
Caleb was a ton of fun this year.  He showed so much excitement for everything Christmas.  He could say, "Merry Christmas", but it sounded more like "Chris Merry Miss".  When he would see Christmas lights he would say, "KissMass".  He loved NoMan and Santa.  He was obsessed with the tree and would love to pull the ornaments off and throw them back at the tree.  We shared a lot of laughs and I'm blessed to be his mommy.

He loves "nanny"

I love how he is trying to open his presents with his tools.  

My mom loves muumuus, but she hasn't had one in about 20 years.  Tiana and I got her this for Christmas and she cried.

My favorite picture!  My dad gave my mom a beautiful couples ring with his and her birthstones.   

The crew.

Jaidyn and Tylre being cute.

CHRISTMAS MORNING

Caleb got this amazing took set from my parents! He loves it.

Santa gave Caleb this adorable table and chair set.  He also got more blocks to add to his collection.

Rob liked his flannel I got him.  

Santa gave Caleb the amazing green balance bike you see in the background and Rob and I got him his first of many I'm sure Thomas the Train sets. 

Caleb played with his train set for hours.