The Growing Caldwell Family

On our way! I have been so busy all week getting things ready for our beach vacation and we are finally on our way. Busy all week you say?yes,working and traveling with a baby requires a lot of prep work. On the work front you have what I think of as a bit of punishment for the fact that you will be home. There is the crestfallen face when you mention that you will be out and the subtle reminders of what will need to get done while you are off having fun. When you have a baby packing for a trip rises to a whole new level. I started making baby food on Sunday so that we would have a good variety to bring with us for the week. We have a good supply of peaches, plums, blueberries, sweet potatoes, squash, carrots, green beans, and oatmeal. It only took a little effort each day to get us there! I had to get us all caught up on laundry early in the week so that we could pack. Then, there was a massive list made in an effort to make sure we did not leave a key item like a zippy cup ...

We had a vaccine visit today.  Sarah Graves weighed in at 19 pounds and 13 ounces.  We were there just over a month ago and she has gained a little over a pound.  I know she has been growing because she has really been eating well.  She eats about 2 or 3 cubes of food at lunch and another cube for dinner.  She still feeds about 7 times a day, so she's getting her calories in.  Although all her rolling, scooting, and pulling up are burning a lot of those calories! Today she received the Prevnar and HiB vaccines.  I distracted her with a book and she cried for maybe a second, then she was okay.  I was grateful to be distracted with the book myself!  I hate seeing my baby in pain.  The pediatrician also brought up the flu shot.  I hate making these decisions!  Can we just flip a coin?  I worry about the flu vaccine because I feel like it isn't very well studied and the possible long-term side effects aren't really discussed...

In case you are wondering, we don't have any teeth in sight.  She has been loving this teething ring; it's one of the kinds that you put in the freezer.  She will go to town just gnawing on it, but I don't feel any swollen places on those little gums.  Maybe I am glad that she doesn't have any teeth yet as I am a little nervous about being bitten with one of those razor sharp new ones. 

Saturday we headed over to the aquarium.  We all had a great time.  Sarah Graves loves watching the people as much as she does the fish!  Beverly and I had fun taking pictures of all the fish.  Some of these came out pretty good considering there was glass between the camera and the fish! Grandaddy played with Sarah Graves.  I was a little late in capturing it, but this shows him giving her eskimo kisses.  She was completely in awe.  Sarah Graves ate her lunch with the belluga whales.  I think the whales are my favorite thing.  They are so big and so graceful. 

Guess who came to visit this weekend!  We had a good time seeing Grandaddy and Beverly!  Sarah Graves fell in love with the stuffed bear they brought her from London; especially, when Grandaddy made the bear jump up and kiss her. 

We hoped that Lucy and Sarah Graves would become pals.  I think all parents hope that when they bring a new baby into the family all members of the family will love it and I think Lucy does love her.  The affection has been mostly one sided, but Sarah Graves is starting to, well let's just hope that petting Lucy is her intention.  The other day Aaron was witness to the two of them really teaming up.  I gave Sarah Graves any empty canister with a lid to play with.  I guess she decided it would be fun to take the lid off and look inside.  She wasn't able to get the lid off, so she teamed up with big sister Lucy.  Sarah Graves sat holding the container while Lucy used her mouth to take the lid off!  Hopefully, this is the start of many adventures for these two!

Sunday afternoon we went to Piedmont Park to celebrate the 1 year anniversary of the opening of InTown Midwifery .  I am a huge fan of the work that these ladies do and was so excited to be able to celebrate as one of the families that delivered with them.  It was a warm day, but the humidity wasn't as bad as it had been, which made it pleasant to be outside.  There was food, one person wrote a song in honor of their work, there was a silent auction, and a group photo.  The dessert selection was just amazing!  Clearly these people know that nursing moms can enjoy some extra calories and what a yummy way to take advantage of that!  There were some neat baby things in the auction, including some awesome wet bags for the diaper bag, but I didn't win them.  Maybe I will go online and order some.  Sarah Graves was checking out all the other babies.  It was so noisy with the other babies that we didn't have to worry about keeping her quiet! After t...