Christmas in the Burg

Cal had a wonderful first Christmas!  We think so anyway since he hasn't been saying much.  Andy, Cal, and I headed to Brownsburg on Christmas Eve.  We went to mass at St. Malachy (so crowded!) but little Cal stayed at home with Uncle Josh.  We were there by around 3:25 for the 4 o'clock mass and it was already packed!  I'm not sure Cal could have lasted the whole time - we were packed in like sardines.  It was a lovely mass, though.  We headed home and had a family dinner - lobster tail was on the menu this year.  Quite tasty.  Then, we all stayed up watching It's a Wonderful Life and headed to bed to wait for Santa.  Christmas morning we opened our gifts after chowing down on some yummy sweet rolls courtesy of Andy - lots of nice things!  Andy and I are excited to try out our new toaster oven from mom and dad.  Cal loved the wagon from Grams and PawPaw even if he didn't express that as clearly as might have been polite!  After the unwrapping, we ate some appetizers.  I made some buffalo chicken dip - pretty good.  Uncle Josh made some crazy bacon-wrapped stuffed jalapeno thingies that were pretty darn good.  I wasn't sure about the cayenne pepper and cocktail weinies inside of them but they exceeded my expectations.

One Month Doctor Visit

Today, Cal had his one month visit with Dr. Bhargava.  She said that Calvin looks great.  She was impressed by how well he was holding up his head and looking around.  Calvin was flirting with all the nurses while we were there - everyone had to stop by to say hello.  Nurse Trish took great care of him and Cal forgave her for the three shots she had to give him today.  He cried for a minute or two but calmed right down and slept for most of the rest of the day.  The highlight of our visit was Cal's weigh-in.  Not because of his weight (8 pounds 9 ounces) but because Cal decided that having his diaper off was just too much temptation and he decided to decorate the scale and the wall with a wee shower.  Finally, Cal is now 21 and 1/2 inches long.  He goes back in two weeks for a weight check, then has another appointment when he is 4 months old.  We'll keep you updated.  I'm including a picture of Cal's souvenirs for the day - two really cute bandaids.

Holiday Happenings

This was a jam packed weekend.  We started on Saturday with a gathering for my mom's side of the family.  The assorted aunts, uncles, and cousins gathered at Blake's house in Crawfordsville.  There was, of course, way too much food.  And lots of fun was had by all.  Cal enjoyed meeting some new relatives and seeing some again.  Here is Cal hanging out with PawPaw at Blake's house.

On Saturday, we had another gathering, this time for dad's side of the family.  We went to Aunt Ruth and Uncle Jack's house.  Cal was excited for yet more new faces and a few old ones, too.  He got a cool new guitar from Uncle Greg and Aunt Kim but was too sleepy to open it so mom had to help.  Here he is meeting Aunt Ruth and getting ready to tear into that wrapping paper!

Finally, Saturday was also the day that our little guy turned two months old.  It is hard to believe!  He is growing and changing so much every day.

School Daze

Today, Cal made a return visit to my school.  I think he was a bit overwhelmed by the energy and excitement of my third graders.  They were all very excited to see him and all wanted to crowd close to get a look at him.  He did pretty well, though, only a bit fussy at the end.  We watched the kids make a craft, have a snack, and then play some games.  Then, my class put on a little Alphabet Christmas presentation - very cute!  Right before we left, though, was the most special part.  We all watched a DVD put together by one of the moms.  The video featured baby/current shots of all the kids in my class, as well as their voices giving me some parenting tips.  It was awesome!  I don't have any pictures from that part of the day but I do have a cute one of Cal and daddy.  Both of them had on reindeer shirts today.  In the second photo, you can see that Cal thought his looked good for eating as well as wearing.

Hair Club for Babies

Cal continues to grow and change - of course!  We've been seeing lots of smiles out of him, which is a lot of fun.  And all the hair he lost on top appears to be growing back in - cute little peach fuzz head is back!  He's all around just much more active, too.  We are seeing lots of arm and leg movements, trying to "stand" when you hold him on your lap, grabbing and pulling on things (like daddy's tie), and being an all around wiggly little guy.

Ramblin' Man

Cal decided he needed a break from the workaday world so he planned a trip for himself.  He decided to spend the weekend in Berne with Bryon and Milly while Andy and I attended the annual Habegger Christmas party.  I helped out a bit by packing his bags.  It is amazing how much stuff I had to pack for a 9 pound traveler - many, many outfits, bibs, burp cloths, blankets, diapers, wipes, formula, bottles, etc.  We met up with the grandparents in Gas City, had a meal at Cracker Barrel, and the handoff was complete.  It was a bit sad to say goodbye to Cal but we knew he was in very good hands.  We are excited to hear about Cal's travels when he returns later today.

A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words

A Pack of Foxes

Today was the first of many family gatherings for the Christmas season - the Fox family gathering.  So, we packed up and headed to Berne this morning.  Cal was a good traveler, as usual.  He slept all the way there.  He did manage to wake up for part of the day and meet some relatives and tell everyone his version of "Merry Christmas!"  It may sound like grunting and whimpering to you but he is really excited about the holiday.  He's making a list and checking it twice!  Cal got to hang out with his cousin Grant again today and I think Milly got some pretty good pictures of that.  I'll have to get a copy to post on here.  I never seem to have my camera out at the right moment.  It was pretty cute.  Grant seemed a little confused to have a baby in his lap.  He better get used to it since he's got a sibling on the way.  So, here's a picture of the cousins hanging out with Grandma Milly and one of Cal at the gathering.  At the end, I'm including one of Cal just hanging out doing his favorite things - controlling the remote and surfing the internet.

Thank You for Being a Friend

Another first for Cal today - his first play date.  Well, other kids were playing.  We sorta just showed up and hung out.  Soon enough, though!  We went to Bridget's house where of course we were joined by her three - Kylee, Brady, and Addie.  Also joining us were Amber with Julia and Marissa and Sara with Miles.  Bridget had a great idea - picnic in the basement!  We all brought a sack lunch (or sack bottle for some) and ate on a blanket in the basement.  It was a lot of fun for everyone.  Cal and I hope to join the crew for other play dates in the future.

Dashing Through the Rain?

Well, we kicked off Thanksgiving day with the Drumstick Dash in Broad Ripple.  Andy, myself, my mom, and Andy's sister Sara headed to the race at about 7:30 am.  The race started at 9 am and followed a 4.5 mile course through the streets of Broad Ripple.  There were some interesting costumes and lots of people (over 9,000).  Andy finished in about 35 minutes with the gals coming in a bit behind that - we were walking!!  While all this walking/running was happening, Cal was kicked back at home with Papa Stephen.  The plan is for Cal to join us in his stroller next year.  I can tell that he's really looking forward to it.
After the race, Andy, Sara, Cal, and I packed up the car (oh my it was full!) and headed to Berne.  It was a full house - Ben/Dianna, Joe/Jackie/Grant, Jane/Gene, Grandma/Grandpa, Milly/Byron, Sara, and of course, Andy/Cal/myself.  Everyone gathered for a great meal with all the trimmings.  Unfortunately, all Cal was able to eat was his yucky old formula.  He did, however, show off his fabulous Thanksgiving bib. Cal got to meet his cousin Grant for the first time and they seemed to hit it off.  By the time I grabbed my camera, Grant had managed to race away (he's moving fast these days) but I'll post a pic when I get one from Milly.

Celebrate Good Times, Come On!

Today, we drove to Berne for a shower in honor of Calvin.  Aunt Sara is in town from Florida so she joined us.  Everyone had a great time - good conversation and good food all around.  Calvin was so thankful for the many lovely things he received.  Our friend Danette bought him his first pair of running shoes.  Andy was quite excited about those!  He also got lots of outfits in larger sizes so he'll be well-dressed for a long time to come.  Andy says that Calvin will be better dressed than he is - true!  He's looking forward to reading the many great books he got, too.  I know I'm looking forward to sharing them with him.  Calvin did sleep through most of the excitement but was happy to meet friends and family he hadn't had a chance to see yet.  He was passed all around the room so everyone could get a look at that cute little face!

Oh, How the Time Flies

Calvin turned one month old today.  He celebrated by eating, sleeping, and crying.  Other highlights included a trip to Kohl's and Menards with mom.  He supervised the installation of the bedroom phone jack upon return from his outing.  His biggest achievement to date is lying on his stomach, pushing up, holding up his head for a few seconds, and occasionally looking side to side while in this position.  He looks forward to many more milestones in the future.

I am not all that interested in taking pictures to celebrate this event.

An Apple a Day

Cal visited the doctor for the second time today.  He weighed in at 8 pounds, 4 ounces.  He is now 21 and 1/4 inches tall.  This puts him in the 50th percentile for both weight and height.  He did not get any shots today.  Those start at his next appointment.  Dr. Bhargava says that everything looks great!

Here I am waiting for the doctor to come in and check me out

Jesus Loves Me, This I Know

Another milestone in Cal's life today.  He attended the first of many Catholic masses.  We went to the Saturday night mass at OLMC.  He was quiet throughout.  Honestly, though, he was asleep for most of it.  I hope Father Richard didn't take it too personally.  It said nothing about the quality of his homily.

Moving Forward

Things are moving along on the adoption front.  We had our final home study today.  During which, Cal decided to cry and fuss the entire time!  Thanks, buddy.  It was all very easy.  She met our little guy and asked us a few questions.  Not a big deal at all.  Our court date is set for January 15th.  That's when we'll get his birth certificate.  Should be a really quick in and out process.  I've heard around 15 minutes.  The lady who did the home study today also mentioned that she knows someone in the area who does daycare just for teacher's kids and is closed in the summer.  That would be perfect for us.  Of course, nothing is set in stone but she said she would send me the information and I'll see where it goes from there.

Mr. Popular is 3 Weeks Old

Forgot to mention when I updated earlier today that our Cal is 3 weeks old today.  How the time flies!  He still seems pretty tiny, though.
Cal had a couple more visitors today, too.  His Uncle Ben and Aunt Dianna drove all the way down from Berne just to see him.  I think they are still driving home as I type this.  We all went to Abuelo's and had a lovely dinner (thanks guys!).  Cal decided not to have the fajitas this time but might try them the next time we are there.  He enjoyed meeting them both and looks forward to many more visits in the future.
We'll be making quite a few visits to Berne in the near future.  We have a baby shower on the 22nd, then Thanksgiving, and then the Fox family Christmas gathering the first weekend in December.

Hanging out with Uncle Ben

Meeting Aunt Dianna

School Days

Today, Cal made his first official visit to my place of work.  I was there to attend a meeting to review a math textbook since this is a textbook adoption year.  Cal got to meet some of the teachers I work with and attend the fascinating meeting with me.  He slept through most of it but did manage to eat 4 ounces of formula fed to him by the kindergarten teachers.  He loved that part!  We ended up cutting out a bit early.  He's looking forward to going back next week to review a different book.

Off to the Big Town!

Today was Cal's first visit to the metropolis of Berne, IN. He was quite taken with it, though he did express his dismay at the very few Amish sightings.  A highlight of the trip was meeting his great grandparents.  Unfortunately, great grandpa wasn't able to meet him face to face due to being in the nursing home and recovering from pneumonia.  But, we did bring him over to Swiss Village and they checked each other out through the window.  Great grandma was able to get in some face time and seemed to really enjoy meeting/holding him.  We all had lunch at Andy's parent's house - thanks to Milly for a delicious roast and veggies!  All in all a good time was had by all.

Andy, his mom, his grandma, and Calvin

Andy, his dad, and Calvin

This last one isn't from our trip but grandma gave Cal this outfit and I thought she might like seeing this pic of him modeling it.  Thanks, Milly!

Take Me Out to the Ball Game!

Just thought that in honor of the recent World Series I'd share a couple of cute pics of Cal modeling his favorite baseball outfits.  Andy can't wait to take him out to a game.  Maybe next year.

Finally!

Well, I finally, after three years of teaching there and attending mass, registered as a member of OLMC.  I also registered for the baptism class coming up later this month.  And, I filled out a compatibility survey so that Andy and I can have our marriage blessed.  Once Andy fills out his part, we can call the priest and set up a date for the baptism.  If everything works out, we should be able to have our marriage blessed, have Calvin baptized, and receive an adoption blessing all on the same day.  Should be quite the day!

Calvin's Big Night Out!

Well, we had another milestone yesterday.  Our last two softball games of the year were last night.  Cal really wanted to come cheer us on but it was a bit chilly.  So, he had his first big night out away from mom and dad.  He stayed with my parents for a few hours.  I think he was pretty well-behaved.  He's not getting into too much trouble at this point.  When I dropped him off, he got to meet the kids my mom babysits.  Dax seemed to really enjoy meeting him.  In fact, he said he was going to take Cal home with him.  I told mom to keep a close eye on that one!  : )

Are you ready for some football? I am!

Today was not Cal's first Colts game but it was the first game where he got to be home and get dressed up in his finest gear!  All in all, he really enjoyed the day, often waving his hand around, clearly cheering for his hometown team.  Cal had several visitors today: Uncle Josh, Gretchen and Coop, and Luke and Bridget Habegger as well as the kids - Kylee, Brady, and Addie.  Uncle Josh worked on transforming his new Transformer.  As complicated as that was, it is hard to believe they are toys for kids.  It was hilarious to see Coop and Calvin next to each other.  Coop made Cal look even tinier.  They didn't interact much but I'm sure they will be friends one of these days.  It was great to hang out with the Habegger's, too.  The kids really enjoyed meeting Cal.  Brady was especially enamored with him and was very sweet and gentle.  Both of the "big" kids got to hold him and were quite excited about it.  The Habegger family also brought us dinner so we have delicious lasagna, bread, salad, and brownies to look forward to tonight.  Yum!!

I can't wait for the game to start!

Happy Calloween. . .oh, wait. . .Halloween!

It's Cal's first Halloween and at 11 days old, he could not be more excited.  The constant ringing of the doorbell while he was dozing and the fact that he can't eat any candy made it especially thrilling for him.  Maybe next year we'll actually put him in a costume but for this year we just dressed him in a Halloween-themed outfit and snapped a few pics.

Rub a Dub Dub, Cal in the Tub!

A combination of losing the umbilical cord stump and an explosive diaper situation led us to believe that tonight would be the perfect night for Calvin's first real bath.  For the most part, he seemed to really enjoy it.  Andy's role in the procedure was that of photographer and wardrobe expert (aka making sure Cal modeled his very cute bath robe and hooded towel).  It seemed to relax him and he is, in fact, sleeping soundly as I type this entry.

More sleep sack than baby